Pancake help

[99spottysocks]

I've been trying to make pancakes (scotch ones they sell in Asda/tesco etc)

Followed a recipe online that had great reviews and followed it exactly but I've obviously done something wrong.

First pic attached was how the first small batch came out.

Second photo was everything I have tried since and I'm not sure what's gone wrong.

Any ideas???

Not familiar with Asda pancakes, what is it meant to look like? Is it too thin as in not risen enough, if so cut back the liquid to have a thicker batter that doesn't spread as much.

ok googled them so I could see a pic, what are you cooking yours on, hard to get that even brown colour without a heat controlled griddle which obviously the factory that makes them uses. I use a totally flat pancake pan and would get one side looking like that, other side though will be the holey side!

What is it that's wrong with them compared to the recipe? Is your baking powder or self raising flour fresh? Is your frying pan hot enough?

The BBC Good Food website is reliable - the recipes are tried and tested. I find that blogs and random sites can give mixed results; some are great and others not.

What recipe did you use? I’m not sure why they aren’t cooking evenly.

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/scotch-pancakes.html

This is the recipe I use regularly and they come out great. I cook them on my crepe maker on a low heat
which makes it easier for flipping them.

The homemade ones will never match the ASDA ones. Its like comparing pressured bread with a homemade loaf.

What do you want to change? I can't remember which way round it is, but the pan temperature is wrong - think it's not hot enough with the crispy edges.

Less fat in the pan to get a more even colour.

I am not sure what recipe you're using but my mother called these sort of pancakes crumpets. From memory, the batter needs to be super bubbly - as in a different thread running now, I think she used baking powder and bicarb or possibly bicarb and cream of tartar.

I do a sort of version of this for banana pancakes and it's I've found you really do need to use self raising flour with a bit of extra baking powder or bicarb and when you cook them, you need to make sure they've got time to rise BUT they still need to be hot enough for the oil/butter to activiate and sizzle while cooking. Can be tricky getting the balance right.

@IdLikeToBeAFraser crumpets are a yeast leavened batter. After proving you add bicarb to create the holes. Scotch pancakes or drop scones don't contain yeast.

Interesting. Although I am 90% certain my mother didn't use yeast (honestly, I'm not sure she used yeast ever, in her whole life! ) . So more likely she just used the wrong terminology? Although she did get the holes..... I think I might have her recipe somewhere, will have to go see if I can track it down!

Was there baking powder in the recipe? If so are you sure it hasn’t expired?

Was your pan hot enough?

Does it have a flat base?

@99spottysocks can you link to the recipe? What kind of pan did you use to cook them in, what fat did you cook them in and how much did you put in? How hot was the pan? Was the batter very runny, or very thick? It should be like double cream-ish for these style of pancakes.

You need a recipe for American Pancakes

Use Nigella Lawson blueberry American pancakes but omit the blueberries

I use this and it rarely fails.

bakingwithgranny.co.uk/recipe/drop-scones/

Common errors are too much oil in the pan. Or the pan not hot enough.

Here's the recipe I use, based off the River Cottage Baby & Kids book:

250g self-raising flour
2 level tsp baking powder
25g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
275ml semi-skimmed milk (or whole)
50g butter, melted

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl
Beat the eggs and mix into the milk
Whisk the egg & milk mixture into the dry ingredients (use a balloon whisk))
Add the cooled melted butter and whisk that in too

Cook in a frying pan with a little sunflower oil (a large tablespoon or two of pancake mix per pancake depending on what size you want them)
Pan should be on a medium heat
Cook pancakes on the first side until little bubbles start to appear, then flip and cook for another minute or so.
Don't add more oil in between batches, and don't add too much oil at the start, it should just be a wipe over the pan. If the pan looks dry after a few batches then add a little more oil.

You get Scottish crumpets that are sweet and flatter than English savoury crumpets

@99spottysocks what recipe did you use?
@NigelHarmansNewWife these are scottish crumpets. They are similar to Scotch pancakes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fluffyamericanpancak_74828

This is the recipe I use, fluffy pancakes every time.

I call what you are trying to make dropscones. I remember making them with my granny. The batter was much thinner than normal pancake batter and it was airy. You could see air bubbles as it cooked - in fact that's how you know to turn it over. It problem looks like oil temperature. 🤷‍♀️