Hey all,
So… this question has been bothering me, and undoubtedly will continue to do so until it is ASKED.
I made a Dutch Baby pancake (aka German Puff Pancake)twice this week, being home with bad flu. For reference, it looks like this: A Cute Dutch Baby.
Basically, these are made with whole eggs beaten with milk and flour and baked in a pre-heated pan coated in melted butter.
Then, I had a bright idea that didn’t work out too well…
I separated the eggs and beat them separately, egg whites to soft peaks, and folded it all together. It was NOT pretty and didn’t taste very good. I wish I had a picture of it, but basically, it was like a barely risen, non-sweet sponge cake gone wrong. :eek:
Does anyone know exactly why this happened? Why do eggs behave so differently-- and why did the pancake rise MUCH higher-- when the egg whites were NOT separated and beaten and folded in?
An Update:
I didn’t separate the eggs this time, but I DID spend a few minutes beating them… and it still good, but it wasn’t *as *good. A perfect Dutch Baby seems to depend on the contrast between densely eggy bottom and puffy top.
But you know, I did think that the last one would turn out more like a souffle. Sponge cake gone wrong, that’s all I can say.
I’m sure someone with the correct terminology will come in and explain better, but something with beating the whites like that, it’s not just that they’re separated but the beating into peaks actually changes the composition. Any “rise” in the proteins of the whites is already done when you beat them first, so all they do is dry out and get crispy, like macarons, when you bake them.
You used the recipe you linked to, or one of your own? I ask because you say you used whole eggs, and that recipe specifies using only the egg whites. Beyond that, I got nothing. Never made them.
ETA: I see it depends on the recipe. Looks yummy, and I wish I had an answer.
This was from the Food Network. Basically, the recipe called for beating the egg/milk/flour mixture for a minute and a half, and I have to say that I think this was too long. This version wasn’t a horrible sponge-cake-from-hell, but it didn’t have that contrast. (Flat, almost chewy, eggy bottom, poufy top.)
So here’s the thing… maybe it seems more mystifying because I’ve had horrible flu… but if the batter is barely beaten at all (which is what seems to work the best), then why does half of the pancake puff up so dramatically to begin with??
I was all set to reply saying that “baking powder is why they puff up, duh” then realized your recipe doesn’t call for any. Then realized the one I use doesn’t either. So, huh. I went looking.
This site seems to have an answer (discussing popvers, but popovers and Dutch babies are pretty similar). The liquid in the recipe is converted to steam and the stream stretches the batter. The egg proteins stretch out and then set from the heat, forming the crusty chewiness that makes these dishes so delicious.
When you prebeat the mix, you’re probably doing two things that impede the end result: prestretching the egg proteins, so they can’t do their “stretch and set” magic, and incorporating air pockets that can rupture and give the steam easy paths to escape.
Just wanted to say I first heard of these on a great Xmas episode of Bob’s Burgers. A diner in the middle of nowhere was selling them. I thought it was just an annoyingly cutesy thing they made up so Linda would have to get one, I had no idea they were real*!*
My mother had little oval dishes bought specifically for making these things, which we called “Dutch Puff Pancakes”. ISTR she would serve them dusted with powdered sugar and a glop of marmalade or apple jelly in the bottom.
It is quite similar to that. I only discovered them a couple months ago. They are incredibly easy to make and are a lovely presentation (plus they are yummy!) I use this recipe which requires no separation of any eggs. (There is a video link there, too.)
I think typoink has the same explanation I was going to offer. Whipped egg whites are already as fluffy as they’ll ever get, and so you’d use them in applications where you just want them to set (meringue, souffle, etc.) But in a Dutch baby, that’s not going to help you. The air comes from inside.
I do these all the time - they’re “fluffy pancakes” in my household - and another thing I’ve found is that overmixing is the death of them. As far as I’m concerned, you have ten seconds to mix the batter. That’s it! Walk away. If there are lumps, they’ll cook out.
My recipe also does not separate the eggs, and is very easy to remember: 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 milk, 1 tbsp butter (or at least enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Scale it up as much as you need to. Typically, I’ll do it with either 4 or 6 eggs, depending on how many people there are, but I have successfully done it with 2 and 8.
For people who are not familiar with them, don’t just assume they’re only for breakfast. While they’re great with syrup, fruit, molasses and/or powdered sugar for breakfast, they are also excellent filled with savory items. For example, bake one about 80% done, then toss in Swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms and onions. I also like to add a little salt and eat them plain.
Al Sicherman wrote a WONDERFUL article on popovers for the Minneapolis Strib long ago; it was reprinted in Caramel Knowledge. All I can find are stories and posts mentioning it, but here’s one: Pondering Popovers
Okay, here’s another idea to ponder…
Does anyone have any idea how these would turn out with a sturdier whole-grain flour? (whole wheat, buckwheat, etc.)