When Making Pancakes, Follow The Low And Slow Approach

What better way to start your day than with a nice stack of fluffy pancakes drizzled with your favorite syrup and topped off with colorful fresh fruit or whipped cream? But the fun can actually start long before you begin eating. Cooking pancakes can be an enjoyable experience too on account of all of the creative ways you can make them — especially if you use cookie cutters to shape your pancakes. 

No matter what kind of pancakes you're making, you need to cook them properly to achieve the optimal texture. This is why, when you make your next stack of flapjacks, you should try cooking them low and slow. By slow-cooking your pancakes over low heat on the stove, you'll get flapjacks with perfectly cooked-through centers and zero scorched edges. In other words, this will ensure a golden-brown exterior and a soft, fluffy consistency that is scrumptious in every bite.

With your pancake batter in the pan in your desired shape and your cooking temperature set to low, cook one side of your pancake for just two minutes. Once that side is golden-brown, you can flip it over and cook the other side. However, this side does not need to be cooked as long as the first side. You can let it cook for just a minute or so and it will be cooked well enough.

If you are cooking multiple pancakes, you will need to let the pan cool off and wash it between making each pancake — especially if you're adding butter as you cook them. Otherwise, letting all that warm butter remain in the hot pan can result in scorched pancakes, making them taste unpleasantly crispy. 

But low and slow cooking isn't the only way to get fluffy pancakes. There are several other methods you can use.

If you blend egg whites into your pancake batter before cooking your pancakes, they will be incredibly light and soft. If you try this, don't beat your egg whites so that they can keep their structure longer and help the batter remain firm. You should also add your egg whites at a specific point in the cooking process to ensure the best texture in your pancakes. Cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum explained to Food52, "Adding the white at the end gives more support — this is a technique used in soufflés — adding a little of the white unwhipped at the end so that the soufflé doesn't deflate as quickly." Alternatively, try adding a spoonful of mayo for fluffy pancakes.

Beyond changing up your ingredients, there are techniques for making light and soft pancakes. First, let your batter stay lumpy so it won't deflate during the cooking process. Second, let your pancake batter rest before cooking. Resting allows for more even water absorption throughout the batter and softens the gluten, which ultimately leads to fluffier pancakes. Let your batter rest for five minutes for the best results. And then don't forget: low and slow.