American pancakes: Why not substitute some wheat flour for starch?
please bear with me: I've only eaten pancakes once (not even in the US), so I might not know how real American pancakes taste like.
In pancake recipes the mantra seems to be not to over-mix the batter because of unwanted gluten formation. If you leave the normal batter a little bit longer uncooked, too much gluten will develop. Hence, I would expect the last pancakes of a batch to be worse than the first few. So I was wondering: Why don't you substitute some wheat flour with pure (potato / corn or even wheat) starch to get a more tender result without worrying about over-mixing? The batter would also stay good to a longer time because resting would be mandatory to let the gluten and starch bloom; one would avoid a too strong gluten-network due to a rest that was accidentally too long. Of course then you will need a double-acting baking powder. (Though I read some additional baking soda is good for browning).
I'm asking because I saw many recipes for German Bundt cakes (those recipes with copious amounts of butter and eggs - resulting in a very heavy batter) that call of starch for a more tender cake.
Best Answer
You can definitely do that. It will help you in decreasing the protein content of the batter, and also increasing a bit of the fat content will also slow down the formation of gluten.
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Is wheat starch the same as wheat flour?
Remember, wheat starch is made from the same grain as wheat flour, it just goes through extra processing. This means that people who are intolerant or allergic to wheat \u2013 even if they are not sensitive to gluten \u2013 could have a negative reaction.What is the best flour substitute for pancakes?
A few good ones to try are arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you need it. Coconut flour - Since coconut flour is great at absorbing extra liquid, it works well to thicken pancake batter.Can you use any type of flour for pancakes?
Flour: Use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a combination of the two. For gluten-free pancakes, use your favorite gluten-free flour blend or try buckwheat flour.Is wheat starch same as plain flour?
All purpose flour is made by excluding the outside layer of wheat and what results is carbohydrate part of wheat. Wheat starch which I find use in Chinese cuisine also said to be carb. part of wheat. I think they both are same but terminology is different.More answers regarding american pancakes: Why not substitute some wheat flour for starch?
Answer 2
I think using cake flour or another type of low gluten flour would have the same effect. But, the gluten (together with the eggs) do help the pancake to hold its shape (shear strength or tensile strength). It needs this strength to withstand getting flipped over and taken off the pan.
In my experience, this gluten talk is a red herring. If you overwork the pancake batter, letting it rest for a while brings it back to normal again.
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