I keep making ’em, these things called Dutch baby pancakes. What exactly are they, you ask? And do they have anything to do with the Dutch or the Netherlands?
I posed this question to my cousins who live in the Netherlands and they said no. To be more accurate, the Dutch have Dutch MINI pancakes and they are called poffertjes. They are definitely delicious, but they look nothing like these “babies”.
Whatever the origins, one thing’s for sure: Dutch baby pancakes are freaking delicious. They’re also super fun to make and very versatile. You basically pour batter over hot butter in a cast iron skillet (or very hot saucepan) and bake it in the oven and top with filling of your choice. A few minutes after you pop the pan in the oven, the batter starts to rise like a soufflé … very syiok lor!!
Moment of truth, when you pull it out from the oven!
The best thing about Dutch baby pancakes is you don’t need to measure the ingredients. I usually start with 2 eggs (because I’m feeding 2 humans), add a couple of tablespoons of flour, milk, salt and sugar, and voila. There isn’t much difference in the taste. Maybe if the eggs are bigger, they turn out eggier, but that’s about it. Honestly, these are the most unscrew-up-able pancakes you can ever make!
From savoury to sweet, the sky is the limit when it comes to the toppings. If I want to use something that needs melting in the oven, like cheese, I usually take out the pancake after it’s cooked, scatter the cheese – and other fillings – on top and pop it back into the oven for 1-2 minutes.
So far, I’ve tried pairing them with smoked ham and gorgonzola cheese, creamy mushrooms, rocket, salmon and even sambal hae bee! You can also add berries and cream and turn it into a dessert .. oh God, my mouth is watering even as I type this. Help!!!
For more easy breakfast recipes, check out my breakfast casserole!
Dutch Baby Pancakes
Equipment
- Dutch oven or cast iron skillet, mixing bowl, whisk
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp flour
- 100ml milk
- pinch of sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220 C.
- Whisk together eggs at room temperature with flour, milk, a pinch of sugar and salt and milk until batter is thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps. This is your pancake batter.
- Heat up ovenproof Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and add butter. Heat until melted and sizzling. It's important that pan must be hot.
- Pour pancake batter over hot butter - you don't need to stir and mix the two liquids evenly together; it will turn out fine.
- Immediately pop your skillet/pan immediately into preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven during this time. If you have a glass door, you can see how the batter rises!
- Remove from oven at the 15th minute. Depending on the oven, it would have deflated or still be standing high and proud.
- Now's the time to add toppings. If adding cheese, scatter it in the centre and return to oven for another 1-2 minutes to melt it slightly. Done!