Pancake Science
A bit of history
The ancient Greeks first started
making pancakes (as we know
them) in the 6th Century,
when they combined ground
wheat, olive oil and honey.
Today, the basic ingredients in
pancakes are milk, flour and
eggs.
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What about modern pancakes?
In Europe, modern pancakes come in different
shapes and sizes.
There are the round, flat ones which contains
some form of flour, and a liquid such as milk or
water. These flat pancakes usually also contain
eggs and butter, and sugar (if you like them sweet).
Then we also have the thicker, fluffier pancakes
such as drop scones, scottish pancakes and of
course the well know buttermilk pancakes,
that are so popular in America.
These thicker pancakes contain a special
ingredient called a raising agent.
Know your raising agents
When it comes to pancakes, there are two types
of raising agents usually used, bread soda (also known
as baking soda) and baking powder; but what is the
difference?
Bread soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. Baking
powder contains bread soda but it also contains a
powdered acid (usually cream of tartar – potassium
bitartrate). Bread soda is an alkali/base and will
react with an acid (such as the buttermilk used in
pancake batter) producing salt, water and carbon
dioxide gas.
This is real kitchen chemistry!
Bread Soda + Acid
c
salt + water + carbon dioxide
This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped in thousands
of tiny bubbles within the batter making the pancake
rise on cooking into light and fluffy wonders!
The baking powder has the added advantage of having
the acid already present, so once a liquid is added the
dry acid and alkali can start reacting together straight
away.
What goes into a pancake?
Flour - this can be considered the backbone of the pancake as it provides
support and structure
Eggs - full of protein, these also add to the structure as well as the flavour
MILK
Milk - helps to bind all the ingredients together and allows the
chemical reactions to take place
Sugar - as well as adding the nice sweet taste and contributing to
the colour of the pancake, sugar also keeps the pancake from
getting too thick and stodgy
3
Flour