a big-pan pancake

sourdough or yeasted: sweet, salty, fluffy, crispy, and tender perfection

i don’t go to brunch often, but when i do, i order pancakes for the table, and my favorite pancakes are at frenchette.

each time i go, i am in awe. the pancake is a one-pan sourdough pancake. it comes out bien-cuit (aka well done) and in a pool (not puddle) of catskills maple syrup with a big hunk of salted butter on top. the salty butter slowly softens and melts into the crispy crunchy outside of the pancake as the bottom of the pancake softens into the maple syrup. each bite is salty-sweet, fluffy-crispy-tender perfection.

in an effort to make a pancake as good as theirs, i started testing this recipe last year. many times i thought i had achieved it, only to make it again a few weeks later and decide i needed to keep iterating. about 15 pancake batches later, it’s here. this is my new favorite pancake recipe (and, if i do say so myself, it is pretty darn close to the magic at frenchette).

the resulting one-pan pancake is huge, fluffy-crispy-tender, and teeters the line of (enriched) bread/pancake/cake all at the same time and in all of the best ways.

in addition to flavor, there are a number of other reasons why i love this recipe:

• as one pancake in a pan, you don’t need to juggle the flipping of multiple pancakes and watching the stove constantly. i find this easier to make than standard pancakes, and just as fun to share.

• the recipe offers both sourdough and yeasted versions, which adds a nice tang.

• you start on the pancake batter the night before, which means the day of the finish and cooking doesn’t take much time. however, if you want to make it all in one morning, you can make the yeasted version.

• making this pancake takes under 20 minutes of active time…

one note on toppings and fillings: the recipe provides some standard suggestions, blueberries and bananas are my personal favs (see banana pancakes below), you can either mix them into the batter or toast in butter before adding the pancake on top. this is especially nice for bigger chunks of fruit, think halved bananas or slices of pear or apple

recipe: