Quick Breakfast Fix-- Make-ahead Pancake and Waffle Batter

Pancakes are some of the most favorite foods for breakfast but rarely get cooked because they often take time to prepare.  Homemakers everywhere would thus be delighted to learn this make-ahead batter which can be quickly cooked into pancakes or waffles in just a few minutes.  Some components of the dough are already cooked and thus keep for about 4 days when refrigerated.

On a Saturday night when you have free time, make this batter, refrigerate and take out on mornings for breakfast quickies.  Yeast gives these pancakes an earthy and complex taste while milk and eggs impart a rich creaminess to it.

Make-ahead Pancake and Waffle Batter

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Yield: about 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups buttermilk
• ½ cup butter
• 6 eggs
 

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, buttermilk and butter and heat until warm.  Remove from heat, add in the eggs and pour into the flour mixture.  Beat the mixture at medium speed until smooth. 
• Place batter in container which is double the volume of the batter, cover with foil and refrigerate for a maximum of 4 days.  Add in 2 tablespoons of sugar on the second day.
• To make pancakes, lightly grease a griddle with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.  Pour ¼ cup batter on the hot griddle and cook until bubbles break out on the surface of the pancake and the edges turn dry, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side for about 2 to 3 minutes more.  Grease the griddle lightly before pouring in new batter.
• To make waffles, simply bake in a hot and greased waffle iron for about 5 to 8 minutes.  The first batch of waffles often stick to the waffle maker but you need not fret as the rest will turn out well. 
 

Some tips:

Stir the batter well just before cooking.

Do not use a tight-fitting lid for the batter container as gas generated by yeast activity needs to escape.

Use a container which is double the volume of the batter to give room for the rising of the dough.  Remember, even in the refrigerator, the dough can rise.