Thin, flavorful pancakes with a moist, interior and a gentle chew topped with a quick fruit syrup and olive oil for something neither too sweet nor too savory.

Yeasted Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup and Olive Oil

Makes 12 - 2 oz pancakes / Serves 2 - 3

From Marthas’ Kitchen on the Food Network is one of my absolute favorite cooking shows of all time. These pancakes are my take on yeasted pancakes that Martha made on the show. I’ve thought of them for years but somehow never got around to making them for myself. Recently however, I rectified that travesty and finally indulged in this unique breakfast.

The pancakes are thin and flavorful with a moist, custardy inside and a gentle chew. They are also quite light, I usually serve 2 people with the pancakes as the bulk of the meal. But, what makes these pancakes sing is that they are not drowned in maple or pancake syrup as you typically would. Leaning into the savory tang the long fermentation would give the final product, I shortcut a tasty slightly smoky fruit syrup that is just sweet enough with a few interesting spice additions. Instead of butter, I top the pancakes with olive oil which combined with the fruit syrup and yeastiness, make what you expect to be a sweet breakfast, perfectly in balance neither being too sweet nor too savory.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

163g (1.25 c) all purpose flour

65g (0.50 c) whole wheat flour

20g (4 t) granulated sugar

4g (1 t) kosher salt 

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs

5g (1.25 t) instant yeast

300ml (1.5 c) milk

16g (2 T) makgeolli or 8g (2 t) vanilla extract

45g (3 T) coconut oil, melted and cooled 

Syrup

2 t olive oil

0.50 t ground cardamom

0.25 t ground black pepper

150g (6 T) strawberry jam

100g (0.50 c) pancake or maple syrup

6g (1.25 t) maesil or 0.75 - 1 t lemon juice

150g (1.5 c) frozen strawberries, defrosted 5 mins and quartered 

Serving

Extra Virgin olive oil

Plain Greek yogurt

Method

Day One

1.      In a large mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients until well combined.

2.      In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs and yeast until the eggs are homogeneous.

You can add the yeast in with the dry ingredients but I like to make sure the yeast is hydrated completely in the liquids for this recipe.

• Whisk in the milk and makgeolli or vanilla until well combined.

• Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until the wet and dry are mostly combined.

• Add the coconut oil and mix until well combined.

• Cover the bowl completely and refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours. 

Day Two

3.      In a medium pot add the oil and heat over medium-high for 1 minute.

• Add the spices and cook for 15 seconds.

• Add the jam, syrup and maesil. Melt the jam down completely and bring to a simmer.

• Simmer for 5 minutes.

• Add the frozen berries and bring to a boil.

• Boil 2 minutes and keep warm.

Continue on to Step 4.

4.      Preheat oven to 100 C / 212 F.

• Remove the pancake batter from the fridge.

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

• Preheat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.

The pancake batter is relatively thin as such the pancakes spread a lot. Unfortunately, this means you can only cook 1 in a pan at a time unless you have an electric griddle, but their flavor and texture is worth it.

For an electric griddle, preheat to 180 C / 350 F.

5.      Gently fold the pancake batter before cooking.

• Spread about 1 t oil in the pan and scoop 2 oz (about 0.25 c) of the pancake batter into the pan spreading to make a circle.

• Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 min 45 seconds.

• Flip and cook another 1 minute 20 seconds.

Test the pancake for doneness by pressing gently across the surface. The pancake should spring back and be spongy.

If not completely cooked continue to cook a few seconds longer until cooked through.

• Remove to the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.

• Repeat until all the batter has been used.

I have found that after the first pancake, I don’t need to add any more oil but, if you do, add 1 t at a time as necessary to keep the pancakes from sticking.

6.      Serve pancakes with the 2nd cooking side up (it will have crannies like an English muffin), topped with the syrup, olive oil and yogurt.