Fluffy Pancakes - the Softest and Fluffiest Pancake Recipe - Quick, Easy and 5-miniute Prep. (2024)

FAQs

What makes pancakes rise and fluffy? ›

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Flour: This homemade pancake recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Baking powder: Baking powder, a leavener, is the secret to fluffy pancakes.

Baking soda is essential for baked goods, but baking powder is really what makes pancakes and biscuits rise and become so super fluffy. Double-acting baking powder, which is the kind that you'll find in the grocery store, produces bubbles in two ways: when it is mixed with wet ingredients and then when it gets heated.

The secret is in the egg whites!

To give your pancakes that fluffy text, beat only the egg whites for 3 minutes on medium speed.

Sugar: Sugar binds with the water in the batter and slows the development of the gluten. That means pancakes with a tablespoon of sugar will be softer, less rubbery, less elastic. Sugar will also aid in browning and give you those crispy edges that no pancake can do without.

Baking powder (double acting) provides two rises: The first occurs when the baking powder comes into contact with a liquid, the second when it's exposed to heat. Too much baking powder will create a very puffy pancake with a chalky taste, while too little will make it flat and limp.

Baking Soda

It's used to chemically leaven doughs and batters when it is mixed with an acid. Combining baking soda with an acid produces a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas which causes the food to expand and become fluffy. Think about light and airy pancakes. That's the baking soda at work.

Using extra virgin olive oil in place of the melted butter in this recipe adds moisture in addition to flavor, resulting in a light and fluffy pancake that's perfectly tender and moist, not dry or doughy in the least.

Flat pancakes are nearly always because of expired baking powder, too little baking powder for the recipe size, or too thin of a batter. How to fix flat pancakes: First, test your baking powder by adding a teaspoon of baking powder in a glass and adding a tablespoon of water or two.

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

What does cream of tartar do in pancakes? ›

The cream of tartar makes the pancakes fluffy and not flat. Add a dash of vanilla for a sweeter flavor.

It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.

"Here in the U.S., pancakes are typically prepared using all-purpose flour," says Frank Tegethoff, who leads innovation at King Arthur Baking. "This yields pancakes that are fluffy and tender."

Baking powder and baking soda are the leavening ingredients responsible for making pancakes light and airy, but add too much and they'll make your pancakes taste chalky, and add too little and you'll risk your pancakes turning out limp (via Bon Appetit).

Heating Your Hotcakes Adds to the Fluff

In addition to bubbles forming in the mixing stage, your pancakes also become airy when they hit the skillet and begin to cook. That's why cooking your pancakes in the microwave or on a baking sheet likely won't give you the same results.

TIP: Make sure your baking powder is not out of date, or your pancakes won't rise as well. Combine wet ingredients together in a separate jug – this step is more important than you might think. The less you mix the batter, the fluffier your pancakes will be.

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

If using regular milk then baking powder or a combination of baking powder and baking soda work best. If using more acidic buttermilk then you could use only bicarbonate of soda. A combination of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda will give slightly more rise and a slightly fluffier pancake.