For a simple British-style pancake, you only need plain flour, eggs, milk and a little oil. The batter should be thin enough to spread across a frying pan when you tilt it, but not so watery that it breaks apart. Getting that balance right matters more than being able to flip a pancake in the air.
This guide is for thin pancakes similar to crêpes, not the thick, fluffy American kind. Good Food's basic recipe uses 100g plain flour, two large eggs, 300ml milk and a tablespoon of vegetable or sunflower oil. That is a useful starting mix for approximately a dozen thin pancakes, depending on the pan and how much batter you use.
Ingredients and equipment
For one batch, gather:
- 100g plain flour;
- 2 large hen's eggs;
- 300ml milk;
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil, plus a little for the pan;
- a small pinch of salt.
You also need a mixing bowl or jug, a whisk, a ladle, a frying pan and a flexible fish slice or spatula. A non-stick frying pan with gently sloping sides makes turning easier. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan can work too.
Use a pan size that feels manageable. An enormous pan may make attractive restaurant-sized pancakes, but turning them without tearing is more difficult when you are learning.
Make the batter without lumps
Put the flour into a bowl and make a shallow well in the centre. Crack the eggs into it and add a small splash of milk. Begin whisking from the middle, drawing in flour gradually until you have a thick, smooth paste.
Add the rest of the milk in several stages, whisking between additions. Stir in the tablespoon of oil and the salt. The batter should pour easily and resemble single cream rather than thick cake mixture.
If you dump all the liquid into the flour at once, dry clumps can survive in the bowl. Mixing a thick paste first gives the whisk something to work with before the batter becomes thin.
A few tiny lumps won't necessarily spoil the pancakes, but large pockets of dry flour can leave unpleasant streaks during cooking.
Should pancake batter rest?
Good Food suggests allowing the batter to rest for about thirty minutes if you have time, but says you can cook it immediately. Resting gives the flour time to hydrate and may help produce a more even texture.
Keep the bowl covered while it rests. If the batter has been refrigerated, stir it again before cooking because it may thicken slightly or settle.
For a quick breakfast, don't abandon the recipe because you forgot to leave half an hour. Start cooking and see how the first pancake behaves. You can adjust the batter after testing it.
If you're making the mixture ahead, keep it refrigerated rather than leaving a bowl containing raw eggs and milk on a warm worktop for hours.
Heat and oil the pan properly
Set the frying pan over a medium heat and allow it to warm. Add a little oil and spread it into a very thin film using a suitable utensil or lightly oiled kitchen paper held with tongs.
The pan should be hot enough for the batter to begin setting promptly, but not so hot that the underside burns before you can tilt the mixture across the surface.
If the first pancake turns brown almost immediately, reduce the heat. If the batter sits pale and wet for ages, let the pan warm a little more.
You don't need a deep puddle of oil. Too much oil can give greasy, patchy pancakes and make the batter slide around before it settles.
Cook the first pancake as a test
Pour in roughly half a small ladle of batter, depending on your pan. Immediately lift and tilt the pan so the mixture runs into a thin, even circle.
Let it cook without prodding constantly. The edges should begin to lift and the underside should turn lightly golden. Good Food's easy pancake method suggests roughly a minute per side as a starting point, though a very thin pancake can need less.
Slide a spatula gently under an edge and check the colour. If it releases easily and the surface is no longer wet, turn it. Cook the second side until it develops a little colour.
The first pancake is your chance to calibrate heat, oil and batter quantity. It need not be perfect. Once the pan feels right, the next few are usually more consistent.
Turn a pancake without flipping it into the air
You can flip pancakes, but a spatula is easier and less messy. Loosen the edges with a flexible fish slice, then slide it underneath the centre and turn the pancake over in one controlled movement.
If it folds over itself, uncurl it gently while it is still soft. A small crease doesn't affect the taste.
If the pancake tears every time you lift it, you may be turning it too early, using too little batter for the size of the pan or cooking it on a surface that sticks. Let the first side set fully before lifting.
If the pan is severely scratched or the coating has deteriorated, use a safe suitable alternative rather than scraping harder.
Why are my pancakes thick and rubbery?
Thick pancakes usually come from too much batter or a mixture that doesn't flow easily. Add a very small amount of milk if needed and stir it in thoroughly. Pour less batter into the pan and tilt more quickly.
A rubbery texture may be caused by overmixing, overcooking or keeping pancakes on high heat for too long. There is no need to beat the batter for several minutes after it is smooth.
Use a medium heat and remove each pancake once both sides are cooked. Thin pancakes are meant to remain flexible enough to fold or roll around a filling.
If you want fluffy breakfast pancakes, use a different recipe with a raising agent instead of trying to turn this thin batter into something thick.
Can you freeze pancakes?
Yes. Allow cooked pancakes to cool, then place a sheet of baking parchment between each one so they don't stick together. Wrap or pack them in a suitable freezer-safe container.
Good Food recommends freezing finished thin pancakes for up to two months for best results. Label the batch with the date and number of pancakes, then remove only what you need.
Reheat thoroughly using a suitable pan or microwave method. If reheating in a microwave, watch carefully because thin pancakes can become chewy if heated for too long.
Only freeze plain or appropriately prepared filled pancakes; a filling with meat, cream or other perishable ingredients needs to be stored according to its own food-safety requirements.
Sources checked
Good Food's easy pancakes recipe and Good Food's basic pancake recipe.