How To Prevent Pancakes From Burning?
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Making perfect pancakes is a big challenge for any noob cook out there! The dish may look as simple as making scrambled eggs, but perfection is a big deal here! Often, even if you have thoroughly researched pancake recipes, you may end up burning one or two. So, it is important to know how to prevent pancakes from burning!
To be fair, the easy answer to this is to use a pan with a heavy bottom and to keep your temperature under control. The safest way to make pancakes is on a griddle. So, you don’t end up burning them!
Pancakes are very delicate dishes. A moment of carelessness can ruin the dish. Besides, you must understand first why your pancakes are getting burnt and what you should do to prevent this. For this purpose, you need a detailed guide. So, to have a brief overview of all these facts, please read the entire article.
Why Are Your Pancakes Burning?
To be fair, the heat of your cooking has a major effect on your ultimate pancakes. If you are careless about the temperature of your pan, or if you use a very thin pan, chances are your pancakes will burn soon!
There are a number of facts about making pancakes that you need to understand first. These are intermingled with your process of cooking and how your pancakes will turn up to be. Read the next part to understand this better!
Temperature
It is hard for newbie cooks to get used to the temperatures of various dishes. Some dishes require to be cooked on high heat, some on low, some on medium, and some on high-medium or low-medium. It is not easy to get a knack for the temperature preferences of a dish in the first go. Usually, it takes some time before you get the hang of it.
Now, pancakes are very delicate desserts. It doesn’t take a lot of time to make a single piece of pancake. So, if the temperature goes high, you are sure to burn things within a split second! If you are totally new at this, starting on low heat won’t hurt. Taking it slow helps to keep a lot of complications at bay!
But it takes a great deal of time to cook on low heat. Usually, the most suitable temperature for making pancakes is around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a cooking thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Above this temperature, you might burn a few!
Pan
Truth be told, the utensil you use for making pancakes is also crucial here. Most people make the mistake of choosing a steel frying pan for pancakes. These have very thin bottoms.
In fact, the main issue is using any pan with a thin bottom. These can conduct heat and temperature very quickly. They have a low heating coefficient. On the other hand, if you choose another heavy pan with a heavier bottom, it won’t conduct heat as quickly as the previous one.
So, using the right pan is essential. However, the best options are to use pancake pans or griddles for this purpose. You don’t have to worry about adjusting the heat every once in a while if you work with these.
Also, if you don’t use a non-stick pan, the pancakes can get stuck to the pan. As a result, you will try to remove the stuck part from the pan, which will kill some time. And the other side of the pancake can get burned simultaneously! So, a lot of things depend on your choice of utensil.
Cooking More Than Necessary
Very commonly, people make the mistake of cooking pancakes more than needed. Just flip it once and only when it is time. Too much flipping will cause the pancake to remain raw from the inside and done on the outside. Sometimes, when forcing the pancake to flip, especially a raw pancake, it doesn’t flip easily and ultimately gets burnt!
Also, when you realize that the pancake is still raw, you want to throw it in the pan for a little longer. It may cause your pancake to burn! Do not overheat the pan or your pancakes. The temperature of the pan should not go above 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Or you will end up burning them again!
How To Avoid Pancakes From Burning?
So, what to do to avoid your pancakes from burning! It is as simple as anything. Just be sure not to overheat things or cook more than necessary. Or you will end up with black-looking pancakes!
Pancakes need careful supervision when you are cooking them. If you are a beginner at making pancakes, you need to know what you should do in this respect. Read the next part to know about this in detail.
Use A Griddle
The best way to make pancakes is to cook them on cast iron skillets. Actually, the griddles have been designed in a way to suit pancakes the most. Now, you may think that griddles can be expensive. No, it won’t cost you a fortune, but it is a bit costly. Check out the best deals and get yourself a good griddle!
Moreover, you can try using pancake pans. These pans are especially good for pancakes only. The design infrastructure was all made thinking about pancakes only. The incidences of burning pancakes on these are very negligible!
A Heavy Bottomed Pan
Do not make the mistake of using thin pans. As I mentioned earlier, thin pans can conduct heat very quickly. You will end up burning the pancakes! Also, it won’t hurt much to buy yourself a pan that you can use specifically for pancakes only.
Basically, the best thing in this regard is to buy a non-stick frying pan with a heavy bottom. Knock on the pans with your knuckles when you buy them. Just compare the sounds of the pans. You will understand which one is better when you go to buy it yourself.
Toning The Heat Down
If your pan has become too hot, sprinkle some cold water over it. The water will absorb the heat. The specific heat of water is really high than most liquids and is about 2400 Joules. So, a little quantity of water can help you here!
Also, when you make the first pancake, it is quite normal for it to get burnt. Subsequently, the second or the third pancake won’t burn. Actually, the first one you made takes up the excess heat of the pan. It may seem that it has toned down the temperature of the pan. So, it is a very basic step to avoid your pancakes from burning!
Keep The Heat Under Control
For beginners, I suggest you start making pancakes by keeping the heat low. Yes, it will take some time, but at least you will end up making edible pancakes! Slowly increase the heat as you get adjusted to the temperature settings.
Even the most experienced people can make mistakes and burn their pancakes! So, try to keep the heat under control. Do not cook on high heat ever! Or all the pancakes will become charred and black!
Grease The Pan
It might sound unusual to you. But if you grease the pan with some butter or oil first, the pancakes do not burn easily. The grease layer helps to prevent the pan from overheating. It can cause the pan to have an even temperature overall. In this regard, oil is a better option because butter tends to burn faster than oil. Butter has a low smoking point.
So, just add a teaspoon of oil before pouring your batter. Or simply, just take a kitchen towel or napkin, rub some oil in it, and then use this to grease the pan. It will prevent the pancake from sticking on one hand and then prevent them from getting burnt on the other hand!
Make The Batter Properly
Maintaining the proper ratios is very important in making pancakes. You must maintain an even ratio of flour, egg, milk, oil, sugar, etc. If any ingredient is in excess or less, the pancake batter becomes runny or thick. It causes the pancake to stick harder to the pan surface and become hard to flip. Ultimately, they get burnt!
Also, make sure the batter is evenly mixed with no lumps. A few little lumps may be acceptable. But the batter should be uniform mostly. Just look at a quick recipe to understand the ratio of the ingredients properly. Here is a link to an easy pancake recipe!
