Honestly, we’ve all been there, staring at our skillets, contemplating our existence, and wondering why our batter won’t stop sticking to the pan - or worse - discovering your flapjack is burnt!!
There’s good news peeking on the horizon; we’re divulging our top 10 tips for cooking perfect flapjacks, so you can ditch the stress for pure breakfast bliss instead.
Tip 1: Batter Up! But not too much.
Mix your flapjacks just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. When your dry ingredients are moist, stop battering and give that wrist a break - even if there are small lumps.
The lumps form because flour contains gluten, a sticky substance that activates when it gets wet and mixed. If gluten is over-mixed it becomes tough, rubbery, and unappetizing.
Don’t worry about the lumps; they’ll disappear when you cook your flapjacks!
Tip 2: Mix it in!
We talk a lot about our favorite flapjack toppings, but mix-ins are another fun addition that can add flavor variety to your already yummy stack.
Berries, bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips, and even sausage or bacon. They’re your flapjacks, so go crazy!
Who doesn’t love a good surprise in every bite?
Tip 5: Don’t muddle your puddle.
Don’t forget your cooking oil!
Make a small puddle of cooking oil on your griddle or skillet and, instead of spreading it around to coat every inch, pour your flapjack batter directly into the middle of the puddle.
The oil will surround the edges and make your flapjacks crisp and tasty.
If you’re looking to keep it lean, cooking spray is a good option, but it doesn’t add flavor or make the edges crispy. Other options like butter will help keep your batter from sticking.
Tip 6: Chasing that picture-perfect stack?
We love flapjacks of all shapes and sizes. But the secret to a stack of perfectly round flapjacks that are all the same size? A measuring cup!
We suggest scooping a 1/3 or 1/4 cup batter onto your hot skillet for each one. But if you’re not looking for the same-size flapjacks, then simply eyeballing them will do!
Tip 8: You’re not Hulk — so please, no smashing.
Flattening your flapjack is the cardinal sin in the lost art of flipping flapjacks!
There is a common misconception among flapjack flippers that smashing your flapjacks with a spatula will help them cook faster and eliminate the possibility of a doughy center.
This is not true! We repeat this is FALSE.
The hot air inside the flapjack helps it cook more efficiently. Patting it down with a spatula merely pushes the air out of your flapjack and reverses all the work you put in to creating a perfectly light and fluffy stack.
“Hulk don’t smash”.
