Japanese cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Hotto Keki (Pancakes)

Thick, fluffy pancakes cooked slowly in the pan and served with butter and maple syrup.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 200g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 50g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 180ml milk
• 20g melted butter
• 30g butter, for serving
• 4 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl; in a second bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter until smooth.
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir only until no flour is visible – small lumps can stay, otherwise the pancakes turn out tough.
3. Let the batter rest, covered, for 15 min. so the flour can swell and the pancakes rise nice and high.
4. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, set it briefly on a damp cloth, and without any fat pour a ladleful of batter from a low height into the centre – this lets the pancake settle into a round shape on its own.
5. Cook covered for 3–4 min., until the surface is covered in bubbles and the edge looks matte, then flip and cook for a further 2–3 min.
6. Stack the pancakes two at a time, top with a pat of cold butter, and serve at once drizzled with maple syrup.