FLUFFY NO-SPECIAL-EQUIPMENT PANCAKES

• annokset: Pancakes for 4
• kokonaisaika: 35 minutes

Ainekset

2 cups (284 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (65 grams) whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons (50 grams) granulated Sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

5 large eggs (275 grans), at room temperature, whites and yolks separated

2-1/2 cups (610 grams) buttermilk

3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted and briefly cooled

1/2 cup (117 grams) ricotta

Clarified butter or ghee (or a mix of neutral oil and butter, see below)

Pure maple syrup and butter

Ohjeet

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites vigorously for about 5 minutes until soft opaque clouds form, thicker than the foam that washes up during a high tide. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar one little spoonful at a time, vigorously whisking until integrated and the whites become quite thick and glossy, like warmed marshmallows, another 3 minutes or so. (The peaks won't get as stiff as with a stand mixer, and that's okay; there's baking powder and more than enough egg white in there for insurance, and the pancakes will still plump up in the pan.)

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter, and ricotta and whisk until just combined, with lumps. Fold in about a quarter of the egg white meringue mixture, to loosen the batter. Fold in the rest, just until no streaks of egg whites remain. Do not overmix. Lumps are critical for height!

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat for 1 minute. Add a generous few tablespoons of clarified butter. (Use less fat if you want perfectly consistent golden pancake faces.) When the butter has melted, add 1/4-cup scoops of batter about 2 inches apart, very gently smooshing the edges into circles if they're lopsided. Keep an eye on their bottoms, lowering the heat to keep them from burning.When the edges have just set, about 1 minute, add a large spoonful (roughly another 2 tablespoons) of batter to the center of each pancake. Then, when tiny bubbles begin to form on the surface of the batter (timing here can vary, but you want some bubbles a bit inward of the immediate outer edge; there likely won't be any in the center, though), very gently flip each pancake and cook until golden on the second side, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve hot in stacks topped with maple syrup and butter. In between every two batches or so, replenish your cooking fat to keep it close to the original level, so every pancake gets just as crispy.

Muistiinpanot

Adapted by Dorie Greenspan from Obsessed with the Best by Ella Quittner

UPGRADE: Add fork-mashed ripe banana and chopped dark chocolate to the batter before you fold in the egg whites. I also love to add fresh raspberries, with or without the other two!

NOTE: The easiest way to make a big batch of clarified butter is to melt a pound of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and, after the foam recedes, skim off the fluffy white fat along the surface. Pour through a cheesecloth or super-fine sieve and store covered in the fridge.