From our family kitchen · Pancakes 02

Pancakes 02 — American-Style

With kefir, vanilla and whatever toppings you fancy.

We make pancakes in three different ways. The yeast ones are already here, so now it’s time for the American-style ones — with kefir and baking soda. No waiting for dough to rise, and once again, no fussing with scales.

I add vanilla paste by eye, melt the butter in the microwave and get cooking. The biggest decision comes at the table anyway: what shall we drizzle, spread or sprinkle over them today? :)

The batter should be thicker than crêpe batter but still easy to scoop with a spoon. Don’t pack the flour into your mug, and feel free to add it gradually — kefir varies in thickness.

What you’ll need

Here I use a regular 250 ml mug. Lightly spoon in the flour and level it off without packing it down. The conversion is approximate, so check the consistency of the batter too.

1 carton of kefir (500 ml)
about 2 regular 250 ml mugs of plain flour, or 1¾ larger 300 ml mugs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cane sugar — or another sweetener to taste
1 level teaspoon baking soda — or ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon baking powder
vanilla paste to taste, about 1–2 teaspoons (I buy Dr. Oetker)
a thick slice of butter — roughly one fifth of a 250 g block, melted in the microwave
the usual pinch of salt
clarified butter for frying

Topping ideas

maple syrup or chicory syrup
jam or cinnamon sugar
and when we feel like indulging, Lotus Biscoff spread :D

How to make them

Melt the butter in the microwave in short bursts and let it cool a little. Mix the kefir, eggs, sugar or other sweetener and vanilla paste in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, a pinch of salt and baking soda, or the mixture of baking soda and baking powder. Briefly stir the dry ingredients into the kefir mixture, just until combined. Don’t overmix; a few small lumps are fine.
Check the consistency: the batter should fall slowly from a spoon and gently spread into a small round in the pan. If it’s too thick, add a little kefir or milk; if it’s too runny, add a little flour.
Heat a little clarified butter in a frying pan or pancake pan. Spoon in small pancakes and cook over medium to medium-low heat. When bubbles appear on top and the edges begin to set, flip them and cook the other side until golden.
Serve warm and let everyone choose their favourite toppings. We love maple or chicory syrup; I also spread mine with jam or sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. And sometimes the Lotus Biscoff spread comes out.

There’s no waiting for these to rise. Once the batter is mixed, heat the pan and start cooking. Don’t press the pancakes down with your spatula — let them stay fluffy.