The best recipe for pancake batter, according to an expert

As for pancakes, there are those who are confident in themselves and take out their perfect family recipe from the notebook at every opportunity. Others, less fortunate, methodically type “crepe recipe” into Google, dreaming of the perfect crepe. We interviewed Chef Coach Gilles Isola. “There are as many pancakes in Brittany as bell towers,” begins the expert. Indeed, everyone has their own “thing” and each region has its own specialty. Despite everything, there are basic principles that must be respected when making crepe dough.

In the video, ten tips for making perfect pancakes

Beer? Regional component, not significant

“Put beer, your dough will rise.” You’ve probably heard this cooking tip before. And yet, the beer keeps the pancake batter from rising. “It is a liquid preparation, crepe dough does not rise like brioche dough, for example. Adding beer is a regional custom, just like adding orange blossom in the south or melted butter in Brittany,” explains Gilles Isola. But then, doesn’t beer add something extra? “You might like the yeasty taste of it, and it’s true that the dough will be a little more honeycomb,” he admits. If you don’t like beer, you’ll know by now that this ingredient is completely optional, but if you do, replace 25% of the milk with lager.

Good products make good crepes

There is no real secret for the trainer, the choice of ingredients is important for such a simple preparation. “The first thing is the eggs, fresh and of the best quality. Then comes the milk, ideally it should be raw or whole, and of course the butter,” he explains. In Brittany, butter is added to the preparation and it is always semi-salted. “We count the kilogram as 20 g, this gives the mouth roundness,” explains Gilles Isola. As for flour, we choose pastry flour T45 or T55, which is perfect.

What recipe?

The best recipe is mom’s recipe

“The best recipe is mom’s or grandma’s,” smiles the professor. Obviously, there isn’t just one pancake recipe, but thousands. “For a traditional pancake, the ingredients are limited to the mixture of “flour + egg + milk”. In our school, we recommend using 8 to 10 eggs for one kilogram of flour, which is quite a bit,” advises Gilles Isola. “As for milk, we count 1 kg of flour as about 2 liters. “For cooking in a pan, I recommend a more liquid dough, which will “roll” better and give a thinner pancake,” he continues. Because the secret of a good crepe is beyond all its delicacy. In terms of flavor, you should feel free to add flavorings of your choice (citrus flavor, brandy or even caramel). “I use vanilla flavor,” assures the expert.

The ingredients are not mixed randomly

There is no question of putting all the ingredients in a salad bowl and beating the whole place. To avoid lumps and get the right texture, mix 50% solids to 50% liquids. “I advise you to add flour and a pinch of salt first, then add an adequate amount of liquid, i.e. beaten egg and milk. Then we combine without mixing too strongly, which will make the dough elastic. When the dough is homogeneous (then it looks like cake dough), add the rest of the milk and possibly the melted butter.

Time off is a question

No need to let your dough sit for hours. “30 minutes is good,” says Gilles Isola. As we saw above, the dough will not rise, and you don’t need to wait for hours before baking. But then, why this time off? “This makes it possible to ‘relax the elasticity’ that we have given to the dough by mixing the gluten contained in the flour,” explains the expert. Enough to sleep less stupid tonight.

Cook well and keep warm

To make your crepes, you will need a non-stick (crepe) pan. “We grease the pan with absorbent paper. you can use butter or a drop of oil,” explains the pancake master. “We pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and quickly roll it,” he advises, in order to get the thinnest possible crepe. After frying the crêpe, Gilles Isola recommends dusting it with castor or vanilla sugar, then placing it on a plate and so on until you get a nice stack. To keep the pancakes warm, cover the plate with plastic wrap and place it over a pan of water, then keep it on low heat, “unless there are kids around, in which case they don’t have time to cool,” concludes our expert. with humor.

*This article has been updated and originally published on February 2, 2016.