Basic Pancakes

Flavorful, non-wheat flours can be tricky to work with, as master baker Alice Medrich learned while developing recipes for her book Flavor Flours (Artisan Books). They each need to be approached on their own terms, and one usually can't be substituted for the other. The tasty exceptions: Any kind of new-to-you flour can be given a test-drive in pancakes, waffles, and crêpes. Here's Medrich's basic pancake recipe, a delicious template for experimentation.

1 1/2 cups any flour: white or brown rice flour, oat, corn, buckwheat, chestnut, teff, sorghum, dried shredded coconut*, or nut flour/meal*

*3/4 cup (120 grams) white rice flour (add only if using shredded coconut or a nut flour other than chestnut)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

Slightly rounded 1/2 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm, plus more for the skillet

1 cup milk, warm

Step 1

Whisk the flour(s), or coconut and flour, with the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, butter, and milk and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add a little more milk or flour at any time if the batter seems too thick or too thin.

Step 2

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot and brush it with butter. Pour 4-inch pancakes (a generous tablespoon) and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until a few bubbles form at the edges or on the surface. Flip the cakes and cook until lightly colored on the bottom and cooked through in the center, about 30 seconds.

Step 3

Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter to the skillet as needed. Serve immediately or keep hot in a 200°F oven, loosely covered with foil, for up to 20 minutes. Leftover batter keeps in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 day.

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Basic Pancakes