My Favorite Dutch Baby Puff Pancake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why did my Dutch baby pancake not rise? ›

There are two main culprits to flat, sad Dutch baby pancakes: Your oven wasn't hot enough. The hotter your oven, the more puffed your Dutch baby pancake will be. Make sure to preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before baking the batter.

If the pancake was a little flat it is most likely that either the oven or the skillet (or other pan) was not hot enough. If the pan isn't hot enough then the liquid does not heat up and create the steam quickly enough and so the flour will cook through and set before the pancake can rise.

A Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, a Bismarck, a Dutch puff, Hooligan, or a Hootenanny, is a dish that is similar to a large Yorkshire pudding.

The pan doesn't have to be cast iron; you can use any oven-safe pan or baking dish of a similar size. I've even done them in a pie dish!

Like popovers and Yorkshire pudding, the thing that gives Dutch babies their signature puff is steam. In order for that steam to work the pancake into its signature peaks and valleys, you need two things: enough air in a well-developed batter and a piping-hot pan and oven.

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Dutch Babies are “eggier” and taste similar to crepes or popovers. The eggs provide structure and the fat in the yolks adds richness and flavor. Sugar: Just 1 tablespoon sweetens the batter slightly and promotes beautiful browning. Vanilla extract: This adds a depth of flavor.

The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German). “Baby” referred to the fact that the restaurant served miniature versions.

Pancakes are sometimes called hoecakes in the South. Most Southerners are familiar with lacy cornbread, aka hot water cornbread. A hoecake is a rustic fried version of a pancake made with ground cornmeal.

The Dutch Baby has sugar added to the batter, whereas the Yorkshire Pudding has none. The Yorkshire Pudding is usually cooked in beef fat or oil, while the Dutch Baby is cooked in melted butter.

What do British call pancakes? ›

In the UK, the word pancakes refers to the same thing, but the word flapjacks refers to something entirely different: a baked good made from oats, resembling what elsewhere may be called a granola bar or oat bar. The word flapjack is traced back to the late 1500s.

Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.

You need something nonstick and ovenproof, because this dutch baby recipe is so egg-heavy and otherwise risks sticking to the bottom of the pan. Also make sure you're using a hot pan here, as it's essential for your puffy pancake to get that head start on the heat with a preheated skillet.

Cooking on unseasoned cast iron can result in sticking, rusting, and a myriad of other issues (some of which are outlined above). Lucky for cast-iron newbies, most skillets sold these days come pre-seasoned. Take your store-bought seasoning a step further though and add your own before you call it good to go.

TIP: Make sure your baking powder is not out of date, or your pancakes won't rise as well. Combine wet ingredients together in a separate jug – this step is more important than you might think. The less you mix the batter, the fluffier your pancakes will be.

You may not have turned up the heat on your burner or griddle high enough, or maybe you did not wait long enough for the cooking surface to heat up. You should be using medium heat for pancakes. Don't flip the pancake until bubbles in the center rise and pop without reforming new bubbles.

The first is that the batter is a bit runny. Add a little more flour (or mix) to make a thicker batter, and see if that fluffs up the pancakes. The other reason I can think of is that the leavening is either past its prime, or not getting enough time to work before cooking.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EGGS! The number one secret to getting fluffy, thick pancakes every time is to SEPARATE the egg yolks from the egg whites. Use gluten-free pancake mix or a low protein biscuit flour instead of “all purpose” flour. And don't overmix.