Dutch Pancakes (Pannekoeken)

Updated 8/11/2019.

According to this recipe my grandma sent me, pancakes are an important part of the Dutch diet. I can’t vouch for the validity of that statement as this recipe may have been clipped over 30 years ago, but it is a recipe for plain traditional pancakes.

I thought these pancakes would turn out a bit fluffier due to the yeast. They turned out about as flat as any other pancake I’ve made. Maybe flatter! But that’s OK. It doesn’t detract from the pancake. Thanks to the yeast these pancakes have a bit of a tangy taste and a slightly spongy feel. If you eat these pancakes with just butter, you’ll notice the tang immediately. Dressed in maple syrup, I’m not sure you’ll detect the tanginess.

My dad dove into a stack of these pancakes and exclaimed that they are a “savor.” That’s his way of saying a food is really, really, really good.

Note: This pancake needs a sweetener. The sugar in the batter is eaten by the yeast so these pancakes do not taste sweet. I’m a butter-only-on-my-pancakes sorta gal but for these pancakes I needed a syrup. Golden syrup is my go-to.

ingredients.

• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
• ¼ c. warm water
• 3 ½ to 4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 T. sugar
• 3 ¾ c. warm milk (slightly warmer than lukewarm)

directions.

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Sift the flour and salt and combine with milk and yeast solution, beginning with about half the milk and adding the rest gradually. Or you can just throw everything together, which is what I did.
2. Let the batter stand 45 minutes in a warm place. You will need to have the batter in a deep or tall dish with plenty of room for the batter to rise. I used an 8-cup measuring bowl and it spilled over the sides at about 30 minutes.
3. When ready to cook your pancakes, warm a large pan over medium-low heat and add some bacon grease or crisco or butter to the pan. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Spoon batter into the pan and cook until browned. Turn carefully and brown the other side. For me, these cooked really quickly, probably about two or three minutes total cooking time per pancake.
4. Serve with butter and your favorite flavor syrup.

Recipe rating: 