Make perfect pancakes this Shrove Tuesday

Published: 02 March 2011


Whether you’re a mother who view pancakes as a breakfast treat for the family at the weekend, a student who’s forgotten to do their food shopping or a Michelin starred gourmet chef, pancakes have earned their place in today’s society as a simple, easy to make, nutritious foodstuff which can be adapted to suit any occasion

Our newly found love affair with pancakes means that we’ve moved on from making pancakes with the sole aim of using up store cupboard essentials and leftovers.

While the traditional sugar and lemon topping is still popular, more exciting flavour combinations and cooking techniques have been emerging. Generally pancakes are either griddled to form smaller, thicker pancakes or fried in butter to produce a thinner crepe. Souffléd pancakes add a classy, special edge to something which in principal could be really quite plain while baking is an easier technique which can produce a similar effect.

Nonetheless, the quickest way to cook pancakes is to fry them. It can be hard to achieve perfect pancakes so if you struggle to get them spot on then follow the Flour Advisory Bureau’s top tips.

What went wrong?

Soggy pancakes

– the batter may be too thick or you may have used too much batter, the pancake may be undercooked or you may not have enough fat in the frying pan.

Broken pancakes

– The batter may be too thin or you may not have used enough egg in your batter recipe.

Pancakes that are difficult to roll or fold

– Either the batter or pancakes are too thick or the pancakes may be overcooked.


Tips for perfect pancakes

  • Measure the ingredients exactly to ensure that the batter reaches the right consistency.


  • Mix the ingredients using a large whisk until the dry ingredients have just been mixed in. The larger the whisk, the more air you can whip into the batter, which will help to produce light, fluffy pancakes.


  • Heat the pan for two or three minutes before adding the fat to ensure that it doesn’t burn. An olive oil spray is not only a good option for those who are concerned about the fat content, it also has a high burning temperature which helps to keep the flavour of the pancake delicate.


  • One ladles worth of pancake batter is usually sufficient to make one perfect pancake.


  • You only need to flip each pancake once to avoid overcooking and toughening the pancakes.


    Why not try  American style pancakes with a sweet berry sauce.

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