German Pancakes
Submitted by saturneyes
Giant German pancakes cooked in butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and lemon juice, spread with berry jam, and rolled up. A traditional Pfannkuchen breakfast ready in 15 minutes.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
5 minREADY
15 minThese are not your thick, fluffy American pancakes. German pancakes are giant, paper-thin, crepe-like rounds cooked in a generous amount of butter until golden and slightly crisp at the edges. The batter is thin on purpose: eggs beaten until frothy, then mixed with flour, milk, sugar, and salt for a full 5 minutes until silky smooth.
The technique is everything. Two tablespoons of butter go into a large, screaming-hot skillet for each pancake. Ladle the batter in while rotating the pan so it coats the bottom in one thin layer. You’re working fast here, just like making a French crepe, but with more butter and more confidence.
Once golden on both sides, each pancake gets the classic German treatment: cinnamon sugar, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a spread of berry jam (loganberry, boysenberry, or seedless raspberry are suggested), then rolled up like a jelly roll and cut in half. The lemon cuts through the butter and sweetness, and that contrast is what makes these addictive.
Chef Tips
- Beat the batter a full 5 minutes. This develops just enough gluten for the pancake to hold together when you flip it, while keeping it tender. Underbeatting means it tears.
- The pan must be very hot, but don’t burn the butter. Watch for the butter to stop foaming and just start to smell nutty. That’s your window.
- Use the biggest skillet you own. These are meant to be huge. A 12-inch pan is ideal. Smaller pans mean thicker pancakes, which misses the point.
- Serve immediately. These lose their crispness fast. Have your toppings ready and serve each pancake as it comes off the pan.
Variations
- Savory version: Skip the sugar, cinnamon, and jam. Fill with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese for a German-style savory crepe.
- Nutella and banana: Spread with Nutella and sliced bananas instead of jam for a crowd-pleasing twist kids love.
Ingredients
Directions
You will need a LARGE skillet for these.
Beat the eggs until light and frothy.
Add flour, salt, sugar and milk.
Beat for 5 minutes more.
The batter will be thin, but very smooth and creamy.
Place 2 tablespoons of butter into the pan for each pancake.
Heat until pan is very hot, but don’t allow butter to burn.
Ladle in enough batter with one hand so that, with the other hand holding the skillet handle and rotating the skillet, there is just enough batter to cover the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan, but not a lot of excess. This will produce a giant, crepe-like pancake.
Check the cake by gently lifting the edge with a spatula.
When it is nicely browned, turn the cake.
The second side will brown quickly.
Place the pancake onto a warm plate, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar then lemon juice, then spread with jam.
Roll up like a small jellyroll, sprinle again with cinnamon sugar, cut into two pieces, and serve.
Comments
