Drizzled with maple syrup, heaped with fresh strawberries, dollops of ricotta or delicate dustings of icing sugar, there’s no denying pancakes make an irresistible brunch (or anytime, for that matter) dish. But while they may look deceptively simple on the outside, pancakes are in fact a science experiment in themselves, and a result of numerous chemical reactions that come together to create an end product. That product could be thin and crispy (crepe-style), thick and fluffy, or – if the formula is ever so slightly off – chewy, hard, cakey or rubbery.
Getting it right is no easy feat, and in , science presenter Dr Michael Mosley makes it that much more complex. As part of an experiment into the real science behind human behaviour, Mosley arranges for a group of nine competitive types to be tasked with making as many pancakes as possible in 20 minutes – without a recipe. As can be expected, general chaos ensues.
To help prevent any similar pancake-induced flip outs, we’ve deconstructed the science behind the popular brunch staple. Read on and then explore our 100-strong from around the world - sweet and savoury.
When ingredients meet
Most pancake recipes call for similar ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, perhaps some salt or sugar, and in some cases a raising agent like baking soda or baking powder. “What’s happening with the addition of liquid to the mix is that it provides water that starts to hydrate the gluten strands in the flour,” explains accredited practising dietitian , co-author of Understanding the Science of Food: From molecules to mouthfeel (out this August).“That swelling of the starch granule helps make the pancake light and fluffy, although it’s important not to overdevelop the gluten by overmixing the batter, and also to allow some resting time in order for the starch to hydrate and gelatenise.”
A traditional Japanese treat, enjoyed with tea, dorayaki are that take the classic to a new level
Sweet chestnut cream pancakes Source: Chris Chen
Eggs add to the structure of the pancake. “They help the ingredients to bind and if the recipe asks you to whisk the egg whites, this provides aeration and is like a mini soufflé effect,” says food scientist and chef Galit Segev. Typically, crepes have a higher liquid content than regular pancakes, producing a thinner, lighter structure.
Getting creative with flour
If you’re tempted to swap a different type of flour into the equation (for instance, quinoa or buckwheat flour), think twice. “With quite a lot of those flours, if you put them in pancakes the end product won’t be as light and fluffy, because the grains have a different structure compared to regular flour, which has more starch in it,” says Segev.
Innovative cooks, take note: rather than simply subbing a gluten-free flour from your pantry into a regular pancake recipe, it’s best to stick to specific gluten-free recipes. “A lot of gluten-free baking recipes have a combination of two or three gluten-free flours, to try and get that same structure of wheat flour,” says , accredited practising dietitian and Croxford’s co-author.
Gluten-free and delicious: perfect at anytime of the day
Source: Green Kitchen Stories
The raising agent
Most pancakes call for baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, or bicarb soda) or baking powder. Both are raising agents that help to give pancakes a lift, but there are differences between them that trigger different chemical reactions within pancake batter. While baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate (an alkaline ingredient), baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an acid. “In order for baking soda to work, you need the addition of an acid, whereas baking powder is already a mixture of the acid and soda,” explains Croxford. Here’s one for recipe sleuths: if you notice that a pancake recipe calls for baking soda, chances are it also includes an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, yoghurt, orange juice or cocoa powder. As for the chemical leavening process that occurs when acid meets alkaline? “It produces carbon dioxide, which creates those little bubbles in pancakes,” explains Segev.
The art of mixing and standing
If you’ve ever wondered why pancake recipes sometimes caution against overmixing, it’s based on cold, hard science (not the whim of a food fanatic). “There are two proteins present in wheat flour, glutenin and gliadin, that start creating gluten when there is water added to flour, along with movement,” explains Segev. The more these proteins are mixed, the more they bond, creating elasticity and structure. That’s ideal for something like chewy sourdough bread, but not so great for pancakes, where a shorter, lighter texture is best. It’s not the only fallout from overmixing: stir pancake batter too energetically and any air bubbles created by the earlier whisking of egg whites will collapse. “It’s similar to when you have a bubble bath and you start washing in it, the bubbles just pop,” adds Segev. When it comes to leaving the batter to stand, you want a little bit of resting time to enable the starch to hydrate – but not so much time that the air bubbles in whisked eggs deflate.
Creating the maillard reaction
The final factor in the pancake equation is cooking. That light, golden hue and nutty, aromatic flavour in the perfect pancake doesn’t happen by chance. Enter the maillard browning reaction. “The reaction requires reducing sugar, an amino group and heat,” explains Stirling. “In pancake batter, the breakdown of starch carbohydrate provides glucose (the reducing sugar), and the amino acids come from the gluten proteins, plus milk and egg proteins.” The reaction kicks in when food is heated to above 140-150 degrees Celsius.
As with all pancake chemistry, cooking time and temperature is about getting things just right. Have the temperature of the pan too low and you’ll end up with a dry product, due to moisture evaporating. Crank up the heat too much, and you’ll have a scorched base with uncooked mixture in the centre. “Experiment with the first few goes of pancakes, then you can tune the heat based on the outcome,” suggests Segev. Or, if it all gets too much, there are always café pancakes.
