MAKES: 14 – 16 PANCAKES
PREP TIME: 30 MINS
COOK TIME: 21 MINS
120g buckwheat flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, separated
200ml milk (or almond or soya milk for dairy-free option)
1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil
10g butter, or 2 teaspoons coconut oil, for frying
maple syrup, for drizzling on top
Buckwheat flour contains no gluten, although the name implies otherwise. Folding in the whisked egg whites ensures these pancakes retain a light taste and the maple syrup makes them irresistible. I usually serve four pancakes per person. If you are gluten intolerent, double check that your baking powder is gluten-free.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Prepare a baking tray with foil to wrap the pancakes in, to keep them warm while you cook the rest of the batch.
Sift the buckwheat flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together into a medium mixing bowl and make a well in the centre of the flour. Using a wooden spoon or hand whisk, mix the egg yolks and milk together in a medium bowl, and then gradually pour into the well of flour, beating all the time to avoid lumps. Stir in the tablespoon of melted butter or oil and continue to beat until your batter is a smooth, creamy consistency.
In a separate, medium mixing bowl, use a hand whisk or electric mixer to whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold these whites into the batter, using a metal spoon and being careful not to beat all the air out of the mix – this will ensure light, fluffy pancakes.
Preheat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little butter or coconut oil to form a light glaze over the base of the pan. You can tell if it is hot enough to start cooking your pancakes by dropping a tiny amount of batter into the pan – if it sizzles, you are ready to go.
Pour the batter into the pan – 2 tablespoons per pancake, or if you have one to hand, a quarter-cup measure is ideal. Depending on the size of your pan, you can probably cook in batches of three or four. But don’t overcrowd your pan, as it will make it more difficult to flip the pancakes over. When small bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancakes, gently lift the edges with a spatula and check that the underside is golden brown. Then flip them over and cook until the other side is golden too and the pancakes are cooked through. Whenever the pan goes dry, add a little extra oil or butter and re-glaze the base before continuing. As you go, transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking tray, cover with foil and place in the oven to keep warm until all the batter has been used up.
Serve the pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and maybe some fresh berries or chopped banana. If you have some pancakes left over, you can wrap them in foil and freeze them – reheat from frozen, in a warm oven, as required.