Discover the Science of Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind pancakes? ›

The liquid helps to activate the baking soda and buttermilk, creating the reaction we just covered. These bubbles will rise as you stir. As this is happening, the CO2 bubbles will be trapped by the gluten in the batter when your pancake solidifies, leading to fluffiness!

Cooking pancake batter and burning paper or wood are examples of chemical changes. Generally, a chemical change is irreversible and will create a new material that looks, feels, smells, and/or tastes very different.

Before the pans touch, the bottom pan is hotter than the top pan. Once the pans are touching, the bottom pan will transfer kinetic energy to the molecules in the cooler top pan until both pans reach the same temperature, which will be in between their starting temperatures.

Here's why. Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Here are Ten Fun Facts about Pancakes:

It was invented in 1889 in St. Joseph, Missouri. ​It is common in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and to make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in one hand. ​The first pancake recipe appeared in an English cookbook in the fifteenth century.

600 BC - The first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to ancient Greece and comes from a poet who described warm pancakes in one of his writings. 1100 AD – Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) becomes a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent – the pancake breakfast is born.

Physical change: mixing them together, since you don't actually effect their chemical compositions individually. You could still separate the mixture into its individual components. Chemical change: cooking them. The chemical reaction shown in the bubbling of the pancakes is a release of gases in a chemical reaction.

Sugar dissolving in water is a physical change. The sugar can be obtained back by evaporation of water and the water by condensation of water vapour.

Cooking alters the chemical composition of food. It breaks down cell walls, denatures proteins and breaks proteins down into amino acids which now bond with the nearest sugar molecule, creating the so-called “Maillard Reaction”.

Conduction is the process of heat being transferred between objects through direct contact, and it's the most common type of heat transfer. For example, in cooking the burners on stoves will conduct heat energy to the bottom of a pan sitting on top of it. From there, the pan conducts heat to its contents.

What temperature setting for pancakes? ›

While your batter is setting, get your griddle ready to go. The ideal griddle temperature for pancakes is 375°F, or a medium setting for gas stovetop burners.

When cooked, the chemical leaveners (the baking powder and baking soda) in the pancakes created large air bubbles. The loose gluten network captured the air bubbles and maintained the each pancake's shape while still keeping it fluffy with air.

As a general rule of thumb, you'll want to use about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of all-purpose flour. This ratio can provide the lift most recipes require.

Note that mayonnaise contains eggs and oil, so it can replace oil or butter as well. This trick may not work as an egg replacement for an allergy or egg-free diet (unless it's a vegan mayo) but it works for those who don't have eggs on hand in a pinch.

Pancakes are a good source of riboflavin, calcium, and iron. However, they're relatively low in protein and fibre and high in carbohydrates and sugars. How can I make traditional pancakes healthier? It's fairly easy to make traditional pancakes a bit healthier.

A common culprit with messy pancakes is a batter that is too thin. If your batter has too much liquid, it won't have enough structure to hold together during cooking and will run all over the pan when flipped. You can address this by simply adding more flour to your batter.

The oil, butter, and egg should be enough to create a rich, thick batter. While the batter would be thick, it's not likely to make light and fluffy cakes. The milk or water allows the batter to thin out and let all other ingredients make delectable cakes! The butter or oil is there to keep the pancakes moist.

Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan. A traditional English pancake is very thin and is served immediately.