← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 150 g cake flour or plain flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 45 g Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 Eggs
• 150 ml Milk
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus a little for the pan
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter, to serve
• 4 tbsp maple syrup or honey, to serve

Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Pour into the flour and mix gently until just combined; a few small lumps are fine.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, wipe it with a thin film of oil, then set it on a damp cloth for a few seconds. This evens out the heat and gives the smooth, even colour hotcakes are known for.
4. Return the pan to low-medium heat and pour a ladleful of batter into the centre from a height so it spreads into a neat circle. Cook for 2–3 min until bubbles pop on the surface.
5. Flip and cook for 2 min more until springy and golden. Repeat with the rest, re-cooling the pan on the cloth each time.
6. Stack two or three hotcakes and top with a square of butter and plenty of syrup.

Tips

• Use a tall pan and a small ladle for extra-thick hotcakes, and cover with a lid for the first side so they rise.
• Contains wheat, egg and dairy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Japanese Cooking 101 Just One Cookbook