Proper technique lets you make fluffy pancakes indoors and outside.
People have been making pancakes with flour, sugar and eggs since 13th-century Europe. In fact, cultures throughout the world produce a variation of the pancake. The slightly sweet and fluffy American version of this beloved breakfast food originated during the 19th century, earning the name "flapjacks." Hundreds of years later, and the pancake still maintains its signature fluffy consistency. Making your pancakes rise requires more than just cooking the correct ingredients on a griddle.
Instructions
1. Combine the pancake mix, milk and beaten egg into a large mixing bowl and mix gently with a whisk. Leave a few lumps in the batter. Vigorously mixing your pancake batter until smooth removes all the air produced by the leavening, mix and egg whites. Pancake mix includes leavening already such as yeast or baking soda. Smooth batter hardens quickly and won't rise properly.
2. Cook your pancakes within 1 to 2 minutes of mixing the batter. Gases from the leavening agent quickly evaporate if the batter sits, especially in the refrigerator. Even if you can't cook your pancakes right away, do not wait any longer than one hour later or your pancakes will be hard and flat.
3. Heat the griddle optimally. Pancakes reach their maximum rise at 375 F over a few minutes of griddle time. Temperatures below 375 F don't provide the heat necessary for rising, leaving your with a stunted batch of pancakes. An overheated griddle, on the other hand, will begin cooking the batter before the pancake rises completely.
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