Recipe: pancakes

SEPTEMBER 27, 1999 COOKING: YEAST-RAISED PANCAKES

Hotcakes, flapjacks, griddle cakes, johnnycakes, pancakes-call them what
you will, they have a very special place at the American table. Pancakes
evoke memories of lazy Sunday mornings, family brunches, and that classic
civic fund-raiser, the pancake breakfast.

Making pancakes is among the simplest of culinary feats. To start, you need
the right ingredients. Fortunately, the best flour for pancakes is the most
readily available-good old all-purpose. High-gluten flour makes tough,
chewy pancakes, while pancakes made with cake flour get soggy when
syrup is poured over them. A yeast batter is a little more complicated to
make than a traditional batter leavened with baking soda or powder, but it
gives these pancakes a wonderful, briochelike texture. Steps one and two
can be done a day ahead; let the covered dough rise overnight in the
refrigerator.

Learn more about pancakes in the February 1998 issue of Martha Stewart
Living. RECIPE YEAST-RAISED PANCAKES
Makes 2 dozen pancakes 1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg yolks

1. Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until lukewarm. Transfer milk to a large
bowl, and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until creamy (about 5 minutes).

2. Whisk in the flour, salt, butter, and egg yolks until smooth. Cover bowl tightly with plastic
wrap. Transfer bowl to a warm place; let dough rise until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).

3. Heat griddle to 375 degrees and oven to 175 degrees. Using a 2-ounce (1/4-cup) ladle,
pour batter onto griddle, creating several pools 2 inches apart. Cook pancakes until
bubbles form on the top and the edges are slightly dry (about 3 minutes). Using a spatula,
flip the pancakes; cook until golden on bottom (about 1 1/2 minutes). Transfer to a
heat-proof plate; keep in warm oven. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm.