This is the fateful first step in a quest for the perfect pancake. Over the next weeks/months/years*, I will empirically vet or debunk every ingredient, cooking method, and old wives' tale** possible. At the end of that time, you will have all the information you need to create the perfect pancake for any situation, whether it be cooking an elegant breakfast for the mountain-retreat board meeting of a Fortune 500 company*** or slinging flap-jacks at hungry loggers from a rain-besieged campfire****.
How will we reach this colossal goal? One step at a time. And the first step is to start taking things out of the "basic pancake recipe" and seeing what happens.
* In order of decreasing desirability and increasing likelihood
** Or old husbands' tale, if you prefer. Or even young husbands' tale. OK, young domestic partners' tale.
*** These tiny, delicate pastries, if sentient, would most likely sneer at being so crassly referred to as "pancakes"
**** Well, maybe. Some situations require more fortitude than technique.
How will we reach this colossal goal? One step at a time. And the first step is to start taking things out of the "basic pancake recipe" and seeing what happens.
* In order of decreasing desirability and increasing likelihood
** Or old husbands' tale, if you prefer. Or even young husbands' tale. OK, young domestic partners' tale.
*** These tiny, delicate pastries, if sentient, would most likely sneer at being so crassly referred to as "pancakes"
**** Well, maybe. Some situations require more fortitude than technique.
The "Basic Pancake" Recipe
(optimized for ease of remembrance)
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup milk*
Instructions
Stir**. Cook***. Consume****.
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup milk*
Instructions
Stir**. Cook***. Consume****.
* Let's stick with 2% for now. Later on we'll try buttermilk, skim milk, water, and whatever else seems appropriate (in controlled experiments of course).
**This seems (and should be) self explanatory, but there is apparently some controversy on the precise amount of stirring and the benefits therewith. Upcoming experiments will fathom these mysteries, but for now, let us say that stirring means stirring for about a minute, until the big lumps are gone but ultimate smoothness has not yet been reached.
*** Again, to set a standard, let's stick with the traditional method for now: get a pan hot, spray it with some no-stick spray, pour a circle of batter, wait about 3 minutes for bubbles, flip, wait another 2-3 minutes, and remove from the pan.
**** About three 5-inch pancakes.
**This seems (and should be) self explanatory, but there is apparently some controversy on the precise amount of stirring and the benefits therewith. Upcoming experiments will fathom these mysteries, but for now, let us say that stirring means stirring for about a minute, until the big lumps are gone but ultimate smoothness has not yet been reached.
*** Again, to set a standard, let's stick with the traditional method for now: get a pan hot, spray it with some no-stick spray, pour a circle of batter, wait about 3 minutes for bubbles, flip, wait another 2-3 minutes, and remove from the pan.
**** About three 5-inch pancakes.
The Question
What happens if you don't use butter?
Why It Matters
If butter doesn't make pancakes better, why add it? If it does, why not double it?
The Experiment
Take out the butter and see what happens*.
*Or, to be more precise, make two batches of pancakes, identical in every way save the existence or non-existence of butter. Perform visual inspections and blind taste tests to determine what (if any) differences exist between said pancakes. Draw conclusions accordingly.
*Or, to be more precise, make two batches of pancakes, identical in every way save the existence or non-existence of butter. Perform visual inspections and blind taste tests to determine what (if any) differences exist between said pancakes. Draw conclusions accordingly.
Batches identical, except batch 1 has no butter.
Both batches stirred the same amount
Adjusted burners until consistent, steady temperature reached across griddle.
Cooked simultaneously.
Flipped at the same time.
Results: top view.
Results: side view.
Results: side view detail.
Results
Visual inspection: Very little discernible difference. The pancakes with butter were slightly darker (not just for these two examples, but for the rest of the batch as well). The rise was almost exactly the same, and the crumb was very similar. If you look closely, you can see that there are larger, less consistent bubbles in the batch with butter. This was a texture that you could taste.
Blind Taste Tests: My wife and I took turns closing our eyes and letting the other person feed us bites of pancake*. We then attempted to tell, through taste alone, which was better. After many "let me try the other one again"s and "hmm, it's really hard to tell"s, we both came to the same conclusion: there was almost no difference, but if we had to choose, there was one of them that seemed to have slightly better / fuller texture and maybe a little better flavor. This turned out to be the one without butter, for both of us, twice each.
*A much less romantic experience than it sounds, I assure you.
Blind Taste Tests: My wife and I took turns closing our eyes and letting the other person feed us bites of pancake*. We then attempted to tell, through taste alone, which was better. After many "let me try the other one again"s and "hmm, it's really hard to tell"s, we both came to the same conclusion: there was almost no difference, but if we had to choose, there was one of them that seemed to have slightly better / fuller texture and maybe a little better flavor. This turned out to be the one without butter, for both of us, twice each.
*A much less romantic experience than it sounds, I assure you.
Conclusion
Butter doesn't do anything for pancakes*. It's useless. If anything, it makes them slightly worse. Feel free to skip it.
*OK, we've only proven that 1 tablespoon of butter doesn't do anything for pancakes. 1 cup of butter would definitely do something. Would it be something good? I doubt it, but maybe I'll have to try it someday. On the list of "things likely to improve my pancakes", though, it has just moved towards the bottom. It's still above "adding sawdust" and "eating raw", but it's far below "cooking at a different temperature" or "changing the amount of egg" or "stirring more / less". Those experiments will come first.
*OK, we've only proven that 1 tablespoon of butter doesn't do anything for pancakes. 1 cup of butter would definitely do something. Would it be something good? I doubt it, but maybe I'll have to try it someday. On the list of "things likely to improve my pancakes", though, it has just moved towards the bottom. It's still above "adding sawdust" and "eating raw", but it's far below "cooking at a different temperature" or "changing the amount of egg" or "stirring more / less". Those experiments will come first.