Hi Friends, let’s get into some baking:
Baking anything requires at least a little bit of concentration. If I’m being honest, I was focused like a laser for this recipe. I thought it was going to be incredibly challenging, but it turned out to be quite simple to understand. Some recipes can seem so daunting because you aren’t familiar with the recipe and/or ingredients. These fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes have really challenged me but I love that about them.
I have tried these Japanese soufflé pancakes before and back then I didn’t know I needed a pastry ring/cookie cutter. Let alone or that it was so hot tongs to help me flip them. Definitely use tongs, trust me, it is very hot!
This pancake is called “Funo-Yaki” and it dates back to the 16th Century. The founder, Sennorikyuu mixed flour, water and sake to make a char grilled dough dough. This was traditionally a savoury pancake and later evolved to become a fluffy and thick, sweet pancake.
Here a few of my tips for making these fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes:
- When you separate your egg whites and yolk, make sure there are no egg yolks in the whites. This will cause the egg whites to not whip at all and therefore, you’ll have to start again.
- Store bought egg whites: If you want to buy your egg whites you can, this recipe will call for 90-100g of egg whites (store bought). Make sure when you use actual eggs that they are large in size.
- When you fold in the meringue, do it in four sections. You do this by adding 1/4 of the whipped egg whites to the wet ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, then add in the next 1/4 of egg whites. Take your time doing this because if you go too fast, your pancake will be very dense.
- You can use a 3 inch or 4 inch pastry cutter, the size doesn’t really matter but make sure that they are about 2-3 inches in height so that you pancakes can rise nicely. If you do not have a round pastry cutter you can use a tuna tin, cleaned and the base removed (this should be done by someone who knows what they’re doing, so please don’t hurt yourself). Alternatively, add a small amount to your pan, allow it to bake for 1 minute and keep add batter to it until you are happy with the size and height. This won’t come out exactly the way mine did, but they will still be delicious!
Why are my pancakes deflating?
In this recipe I am adding whipped egg whites, which contain a lot of air to the batter. The pancake will start out fluffy and well risen. However, once we remove the heat, they will naturally deflate a bit. So be sure to eat them when they are nice and hot, fresh out the pan.
My pancakes have sunken in the middle?
This can be because the batter was over folded, which removes much of the air needed to help the pancake rise.Because of this the middle will be sunken in slightly. Remember to not over whip the egg whites, if you see a few white meringue lumps, rather let them be as they will cook anyway in the covered pan.
Fluffy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
Course: Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Medium4-6
servings15
minutes20
minutesThese fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes are unlike any other pancake I have ever tried. They are much taller and that’s because they are made similar to that of a soufflé. I also love how light and fluffy they are, even without strawberries and cream.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups AP flour, level
1/4 cup icing sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup whole milk
4 1/2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 large egg yolk, plus 3 large egg whites (separated)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Directions
- Whisk together the flour, icing sugar and baking powder and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg yolk, melted butter and vanilla essence and whisk.
- In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds on medium speed until foamy, then add in the cream of tartar and mix on medium to high speed for 2-3 minutes. Once stiff peaks begin to form, wait a few seconds more and then turn off. Do not over mix the egg whites as this could affect the consistency of the pancake.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients, whisk until there are no lumps. Then add in 1/4 of the eggs whites to the mixture until it’s all combined. Do not over mix either, if there are some egg white lumps, rather leave it that over fold.
- Prepare a medium size pan over a low heat, spray with non stick spray, then spray your pastry cutter if you’re using once, on the inside to avoid sticking. While the pan heats, leave the lid on.
- Then place the cutter in the pan, fill with batter about 1/2-3/4 the way full, cover the pan with the lid again and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the batter looks more cooked, there are noticeable bubbles on top, place a spatula underneath the pastry cutter, and use tongs to help you flip it over. This seems rather tedious but it will prevent you from burning and keep the pancake shape. Keep the lid on and cook for another 2 minutes.
- When you’re done add fresh strawberries and whipped cream and enjoy!
