Scallion Pancake
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Makes 4 side dish or 8 appetizer servings 1x
Time 6 to 12 hours to ferment the batter, plus 1 hour to bake the pancake
Ingredients
- 100 grams whole wheat starter
- 200 grams whole wheat flour, plus 50 grams for feeding the starter
- 300 grams water, plus 50 grams for feeding the starter and more as needed for adjusting consistency
- 7 grams salt
- 1 bunch scallions
- 50 grams good-quality vegetable oil (about a scant 1/4 cup)
Instructions
1. Combine the starter, whole wheat flour, and 300 grams water in a large bowl and stir until combined. The batter won’t be smooth but should plop from the spoon or spatula. How much more water you eventually add will depend on how wet your starter is and your desired texture (see the headnote), but wait to see how the batter develops as it sits before you add more. Cover with plastic or a damp kitchen towel. Let the batter sit at room temperature for at least 6 or up to 12 hours. (The timing is flexible to fit your schedule; there’s a section called “Baking Bread on Any Schedule” on page 89 of the book.) Meanwhile, feed the remaining starter: Add 50 grams each whole wheat flour and water and stir or shake. Cover and return it to the refrigerator.
2. Add the salt to the batter and whisk until it’s smooth, adding water a little at a time until it’s the consistency of thick pancake batter (for a thinner, crisper pancake) or thin pancake batter (for a thicker, more custardy pancake).
3. When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 450°F. Slice the scallions into 1-inch pieces (at a diagonal is prettiest). When the oven is hot, put the oil in a 12-inch skillet and put the pan in the oven. Bake, checking frequently, until the oil shimmers without smoking, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, scatter the scallions into the hot oil, and spread them out across the bottom of the pan. Using a circular motion, pour in the batter and swirl it into the hot oil with a fork like you’re marbling cake batter.
4. Return the pan to the oven and bake undisturbed until the edges and top brown and the pancake releases easily from the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, slide the pancake out onto a cutting board, cut into wedges or squares, and serve.
– Recipe from Bittman Bread
Recipe variations
Kimchi Pancake
Substitute brown rice flour for the whole wheat flour in the batter. Substitute up to 100 grams chopped kimchi (about 3/4 cup) for the scallions.
Buckwheat Pancake
A springy flatbread that eats like blini. Omit the scallions and substitute 100 grams buckwheat flour for half of the whole wheat flour when you make the batter. Since the batter will be fairly thick, expect to add another 10 to 30 grams water in Step 3, depending on your desired texture. Everything else stays the same.
Corn Pancake
Think of a thin, crisp cornbread. Substitute medium or fine cornmeal for the whole wheat flour in the batter. If you like, instead of the scallions, add the kernels cut from 1 ear corn, or about 3/4 cup frozen. Everything else stays the same.
Leek Pancake
Instead of the scallions, trim 1 medium-size leek to use the white and light green parts; halve it lengthwise. Cut the halves crosswise into crescents. Rinse well in a colander, drain well, and proceed with the recipe, cooking them in the oil in Step 3.
Shallot Pancake
Instead of the scallions, trim and peel 2 shallots and slice them thinly crosswise. Proceed with the recipe, using them in place of the scallions in Step 3.
Fresh Chile Pancake
Trim 1 or 2 hot red or green chiles (like jalapeño or serrano); seed them if you want the pancake less spicy. Slice them thinly crosswise and proceed with the recipe, using them in place of (or in addition to) the scallions in Step 3.
Chickpea Pancake
Tangier and a tad more breadlike than a traditional socca: Use the scallions in the main recipe, the shallots in the variation, or 1 small thinly sliced onion. Instead of the whole wheat flour, substitute besan (chickpea flour) in the batter.
It’s easy to turn the main recipe or any of the variations into pancakes of any size. Work on the stove instead of the oven and cook the vegetables in the hot oil over medium-high heat until they sizzle, then stir them, plus the oil in the pan, into the batter. Cook as the pancakes as you would any pancakes.