Buttermilk Spelt Pancakes

Ingredients

Dry

Whole spelt gives you the nutty flavor. The cinnamon is small enough that nobody names it and everybody notices it.

• 240g (2 cups) whole spelt flour, fresh-milled or bagged
• 10g (2½ tsp) baking powder
• 3g (½ tsp) baking soda
• 3g (½ tsp) fine sea salt
• 1g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon

Wet

Real buttermilk if you have it. The acid reacts with the soda and tenderizes the whole grain at the same time.

• 360g (1½ cups) buttermilk, cold
• 100g (2 large) large eggs
• 30g (1½ tbsp) maple syrup or honey
• 45g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 5g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• 15 to 30g (1 to 2 tbsp) extra buttermilk, for loosening after the rest
• 15g (1 tbsp) butter or neutral oil, for the pan

Total flour: 240g

Hydration: 150%

Pro tip: Do not whisk the batter smooth. Lumps cook out. Overworked spelt does not recover, and the difference between a tender pancake and a rubbery one is about fifteen seconds of extra mixing.

Equipment

Method

Heat the Pan First

Cast iron takes longer to come up than you think, and a cold pan is why the first pancake is always the sacrifice. Start it before you touch the flour.

1. Set the pan over medium. Warm a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat while you mix.
2. Test it. Flick a drop of water on the surface. It should skitter and take a few seconds to disappear. If it vanishes instantly, the pan is too hot.

Tip: Surface temperature you are after is about 375F (190C). An infrared thermometer takes the guessing out of it if you have one.

Whisk the Dry Ingredients

Thirty seconds of whisking spreads the leavening evenly. Skip it and you get a pancake with a bitter pocket in it.

1. Combine and whisk. Whisk the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until no streaks of soda remain.

Tip: Weigh the flour if you can. Whole spelt settles hard in a bag, and a scooped cup can run 20 percent heavy. If you are using cups, use the spoon and level method.

Whisk the Wet Ingredients

Everything liquid in one bowl, smooth, before it meets the flour. That is how you get away with barely mixing at the end.

1. Combine and whisk. In a second bowl or a large measuring jug, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.

Tip: Let the melted butter cool for a minute before it hits cold buttermilk, or it seizes into little pellets.

Fold, Do Not Whisk

Spelt gluten develops fast and tears just as fast. Fold until the flour disappears and then put the spatula down.

1. Pour wet into dry. Add the wet mixture to the dry all at once.
2. Fold about ten strokes. Fold with a spatula only until the dry flour is gone. Lumps are supposed to be there. A smooth batter means a tough pancake.

Tip: Count your strokes the first time you make these. Most people are shocked at how few it takes.

Rest the Batter

Eight to ten minutes lets the bran soften and the leavening wake up. This short rest is the single biggest difference between a good whole-grain pancake and a gritty one.

1. Let it sit. Leave the batter undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes. You will see bubbles form on top.
2. Check the thickness. The batter should pour thick and slow off the spatula. If it has stiffened past scooping, fold in 15 to 30g (1 to 2 tbsp) more buttermilk. Nothing more.

Wait: PT10M

Tip: Do not rest it longer than about 15 minutes. The baking soda has already done most of its work by then and you start trading lift for nothing.

Cook the Pancakes

Medium heat, a light film of butter, and patience through the first side. Whole grain browns quicker than white flour, so this runs a notch cooler than you are used to.

1. Butter the pan. Wipe a thin film of butter across the surface. Too much and the edges fry unevenly.
2. Cook a test pancake. Pour about 60g (¼ cup) of batter. Give it 2 to 3 minutes. If it darkens before the center sets, drop the heat before you commit the rest of the batter.
3. Watch for the edges. Flip when bubbles break across the surface and the edges look dry and matte, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Finish the second side. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more until golden and 200F (93C) in the center. Press once, gently, and no more. Pressing squeezes out the lift you just built.

Tip: Butter between every batch, not every pancake. Wipe the pan with a paper towel if the butter starts to brown too dark.

Hold Them Warm and Serve

Stacked pancakes steam themselves soggy. A single layer in a low oven keeps them tender while you finish the batch.

1. Hold in a low oven. Move finished pancakes to a sheet pan in a single layer in a 200F (95C) oven.
2. Serve. Butter, maple syrup, fruit, or jam. Spelt takes to berries and to anything with a little tang.

Tip: If you are cooking for a crowd, two pans running at once beats a warm oven every time.

Ways to Run It

The base batter takes add-ins well as long as you fold them in at the very end and keep the total small.

Plain, as written (recommended)

The version above. Nutty, tangy, and the one to make first so you know what the grain tastes like.

1. Nothing extra. Batter straight to the pan after the rest.

Blueberry

Berries go on the pancake, not in the bowl, so the batter stays streak-free and nothing sinks.

1. Pour first. Scoop the batter into the pan and let it set for about 30 seconds.
2. Drop the berries on. Scatter 8 to 10 berries onto the wet surface, then cook and flip as usual.

Fresh-Milled Spelt

Mill fine and use it the same day. Fresh flour drinks more liquid, so the batter starts wetter than you would expect.

1. Start at 375g buttermilk. Use 375g (1½ cups + 1 tbsp) buttermilk instead of 360g.
2. Rest, then judge. Give it the full 10 minutes and adjust after the rest, not before.

Proof test: Drag your spatula through the rested batter. It should close back over the trail slowly, in about two seconds. Closing instantly means it needs a minute more rest. Not closing at all means it needs a tablespoon of buttermilk.

Cook

Stovetop. Medium heat, cast iron or a griddle, no oven required except to hold them warm.

Oven: 190°C / 375°F. Internal temperature when done: 93°C / 200°F.

Cast Iron Skillet (recommended)

Holds heat through the batch so pancake number ten looks like pancake number one. Cooks two to three at a time in a 12-inch pan.

Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet

1. Preheat. Medium heat, 5 minutes, until a water drop skitters.
2. Cook the first side. 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles break and edges look dry.
3. Flip and finish. 1 to 2 minutes more to 200F (93C) in the center.

Electric Griddle

Easier for a crowd and easier to control, though the browning is a little flatter than cast iron gives you.

Equipment: Electric griddle

1. Set to 375F (190C). Let it come fully up to temperature, about 10 minutes.
2. Cook in batches of four. Same timing: 2 to 3 minutes, flip, 1 to 2 minutes.

Note: Whole spelt browns faster than white flour. If your first pancake is dark outside and wet inside, the answer is lower heat, not more time.

Storage

• Room temperature: Best within an hour of cooking. Cover loosely if they have to wait.
• Refrigerated: 3 days in a sealed container with parchment between the layers.
• Frozen: 2 months. Freeze flat in a single layer first, then transfer to a bag.
• Refresh: Toaster straight from frozen, or 325F (165C) oven for 8 minutes on a sheet pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use white spelt flour instead of whole spelt?

Yes. White spelt makes a lighter, milder pancake. Pull the buttermilk back to about 330g since sifted flour absorbs less, and skip the rest down to about 5 minutes.

I do not have buttermilk. What works?

Stir 15g (1 tbsp) of lemon juice or white vinegar into 345g (1½ cups) of milk and let it sit 10 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with milk to a pourable consistency works too and is closer to real buttermilk in body.

Why are my pancakes tough?

Overmixing, almost always. Spelt gluten builds fast and then tears, and once the batter is smooth the damage is done. Fold about ten strokes, leave the lumps, and let the rest finish the job.

Can I mix the batter the night before?

Not this batter. Baking powder and soda start working the moment they hit the buttermilk and they are mostly spent by morning. What you can do the night before is whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, cover both, and combine in the morning.

Does the baking powder taste come through?

It should not, but 2½ teaspoons is on the generous side because whole grain is heavy to lift. If you are sensitive to that metallic note, go down to 2 teaspoons (8g). You lose a little height and gain a cleaner flavor.

Is spelt gluten-free?

No. Spelt is a wheat variety and contains gluten. Some people find it easier to digest than modern wheat, but it is not safe for celiac disease or a wheat allergy.

Can I freeze these?

They freeze better than most pancakes because the whole grain holds moisture. Cool completely, freeze flat in a single layer, then bag them. Straight into the toaster from frozen, no thawing.

How do I scale this for a crowd?

Double it straight across, including the leavening. Mix the wet and dry separately in two large bowls and only combine what you can cook in about 20 minutes. A batter that sits too long after mixing loses its lift.

Nutrition

Per serving (3 pancakes (about 200g)): 390 calories, 52g carbohydrates, 13g protein, 14g fat, 7g fiber, 820mg sodium. Makes 4 servings.