A Dutch Baby Pancake has roots from the US. I’d call it an American “Popover” if you will. This recipe has an unexpected ingredient that creates a pancake that puffs up beautifully and has crispy edges– and is baked in a Cast-Iron Skillet. This pancake deflates within moments of being removed from the oven, and is delicious with fresh squeezed lemon juice and powdered sugar. Since I have an abundance of frozen berries, I made a compote to serve with this. This is the best recipe version I’ve made, so far.
My husband grows California local olallieberries. I realize that many of you have never heard of them– as you can only find them in California– or parts of the Pacific Northwest. Berries freeze really well, and it’s time I start finding ways to use them, since we’ll get this year’s crop around Memorial weekend.
It was late morning, and my stomach was reminding me that I should make something to eat. Pancakes? Yes! German pancakes? Or, Cornmeal Pancakes? I’ve got it! I’ll make a Dutch Baby– a puffed up pancake that I haven’t made in a long time.
One of the first places I search for inspiration is Americas Test Kitchen. In particular, I own and love their cookbook “Cook It In Cast Iron“. I’ve made several of their recipes, and they are all fabulous.
One of the reasons that Americas Test Kitchen is a trusted recipe source, is the science that goes behind the why and how they develop their recipes. Dutch Babies are a dime a dozen, but this recipe is very unique. This is how ATK explains the recipe:
We wanted a puffy, well-risen Dutch baby with crisp sides and a tender bottom, but achieving that contrast did not come easily. Where ordinary pancakes call for baking soda and baking powder, Dutch babies rely on the conversion of water to steam for their lift—the milk, eggs, and butter in the batter all contain substantial amounts of water to help with that. To create a Dutch baby substantial enough to serve four, we turned to our 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Using a 450-degree oven allowed the Dutch baby to puff up spectacularly without burning. Our next goal was creating perfectly crisp sides. Since we knew that fat makes baked goods tender, we replaced the whole milk in the recipe with skim milk. Less fat translated to more crispness. To get a head start on this process, we greased and preheated the skillet. This simple step made all the difference in attaining crisp sides to go along with the custardy bottom; the lean batter cooked up quickly along the sides of the hot skillet. For even more crispness, we replaced some of the flour in the batter with cornstarch. To give the dish a flavor boost, we whisked a little vanilla extract and lemon zest into the batter. A generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar provided the final touch.
The batter uses simple ingredients– flour, eggs, butter and cornstarch. It took only a few minutes to make.
Of course, you need a 12″ cast iron skillet that has been preheated at 450F with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil, for 10 minutes. The batter is poured into the hot skillet and placed into the oven– rotating it after 10 minutes, for a total of 20 minutes.
Wow! Look at how much rise this pancake got– without baking soda or powder. Believe it or not, it was the skim milk, eggs and butter created enough steam for the “lift”. (NOTE: I used 1% milk, since that’s what I prefer to drink.)
The cornstarch gave crispy edges to the pancake.
It just a minute or two, the pancake deflates with high edges and a custard like bottom. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar is a perfect way to serve this– or even cooked apples.
TASTING NOTES: I love the texture of a Dutch Baby Pancake. It’s thin, eggy, and has a whisper of vanilla. If you’ve never tasted olallieberries, they taste like a cross between raspberries and blackberries. This pancake serves four, generously. I’m absolutely thrilled with the soft center, and crispy edges– and that I had brunch on the table in less than 30 minutes. I’m not planning to wait a few more years to make this again. These are perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch.
Perfect and the Best Dutch Baby Pancake
Equipment
- 1 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 5-ounces
- ¼ cup cornstarch 1 ounce
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus lemon wedges for serving
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups skim milk see note below
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 12-inch cast-iron skillet with oil, place skillet in oven, and heat until oil is shimmering, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt together in large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy, then whisk in milk, melted butter, and vanilla until incorporated. Whisk one-third of milk mixture into flour mixture until no lumps remain. Slowly whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.
- Quickly pour batter into skillet and bake until Dutch baby puffs and turns golden brown (edges will be dark brown), about 20 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.
- Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, transfer Dutch baby to cutting board using spatula. Dust with sugar and slice into wedges. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
[…] Olallieberry Pie when my husband presents a bowl full of freshly picked berries. I’ve made Olallieberry Dutch Babies, Pancakes to name a few. Yesterday, I was presented with another bowl of freshly picked […]