Japan’s inventiveness and attention to detail might take them all the way in this year’s World Cup cook-off.
According to my older daughter, these fluffy Japanese pancakes “are practically perfect in every way”.
They certainly look impressive, and have a lovely, soft (and fluffy) texture. Apparently, the mayonnaise is what makes these pancakes so moist.
I did find them a bit fiddly to flip, but I’m sure it’s a matter of practice. (Which I’m certain to get, as everyone loved them so much.)
I cooked my pancakes in crumpet rings, which were just the right size to make four pancakes.
The recipe is adapted from this one on The Chopstick Chronicles.
Japanese fluffy pancakes
(makes 4)
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 Tb caster sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- ¾ cup buttermilk (approximately)
- 1 Tb mayonnaise (optional)
- sunflower oil, for greasing
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Beat the egg, pour into a cup measure and fill with buttermilk to make 1 cup liquid in total. Stir into the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the mayonnaise (if using).
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low flame, and brush lightly with sunflower oil.
- Lightly oil the crumpet rings and arrange in the frying pan.
- Fill each ring, a little over half full. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook for ten minutes, until little bubbles start appearing on the top of the pancakes and the edges look a bit dry.
- Using a flipper, carefully transfer the rings to the lid.
- Brush the frying pan with a bit of oil, invert over the lid, flip and return to the flame.
- Fry for a few minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a pancake comes out clean.
Family score 10 out of 10
Ten More Bites 
Never seen similar pancakes, they must be scrumptious, have to give them a try asap! 🙂
They are really light and fluffy, and look neat as well!
These sound great! I’ve always wanted to try this type of pancake I might give this a try soon…. I’m pretty i have all of the ingredients already in my cupboard!
Thanks! You should give them a go — I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to make. The flipping was a bit fiddly the first time, but has gone smoothly ever since. 🙂
Is it necessary to use a ring like the crumpet thing you used? I don’t have anything like that….
I was stumped by that at first. I tried with round cookie cutters, but mine weren’t quite deep enough, plus only two were about the right size. I also found instructions about making rings by cutting 30cm x 4.5cm strips of baking paper and thin cardboard (like a cereal box), and stapling them together in rings (with the cardboard on the outside!). In the end, I ordered a set of 4 rings online…
Hmm I mind be able to get them in town. They may come in handy for other things too… I might even try making English muffins lol
I had the same thought when I decided to buy them 🙂
Great minds think alike 😉
These look awesome and I hear they are all the rage. Given you are kitchen literate in the UK and Canada, is there an everyday replacement for crumpet rings? Never seen one this side of the pond.
Do you have egg poaching rings? A deep enough cookie cutter would work as well. I did find one recipe for them where the woman made her own rings from strips of cardboard lined with wax paper…