I adore these giant skillet pancakes, sometimes called a Dutch Baby. Sooo much easier for a party than standing at the stove and flipping lots of regular pancakes. I learned this from a friend many years ago in Iowa. I didn't write the recipe down so I recreated it from scratch and as I was testing, I've learned there are a couple of tricks to making a great puffy pancake. First, make sure the sides and bottom of your pan are buttered and also make sure the oven rack is lowered near the bottom of the oven so the pancake will not burn around the edges as the pancake puffs like this one below has. Set the oven to 400 degrees F -but after 15 minutes, up the temp to 425 degrees for the final 10 minutes of baking, checking frequently.
So I learned after a few attempts to lower the rack before you start baking so the edges do not burn.
My favorite way to serve a Dutch Baby or puffy skillet pancake is with a squeeze of lemon and a dusting of powdered sugar but Maple syrup, and chocolate shavings are all very delicious!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15-minutes, then 5-10 minutes more.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Butter, syrup, Confectioner's sugar or other accompaniments.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400. You will turn up the heat after 15 minutes of baking time to 425.
Use 1 tablespoon butter to generously grease the bottom and sides of a cast iron skillet. Set aside. Melt the other tablespoon of butter and allow to cool completely. Set aside.
With a stick blender, blender, or food processor, add the eggs, butter, milk, salt, vanilla and sugar and blend them for 15 seconds. Add the flour and blend the mixture for an additional 1 minute, making sure there are no clumps in the mixture.
Pour the batter into the buttered skillet. Bake 15 minutes then up the heat to 425 degrees for the final 5-10 minutes of baking time or until the pancake is puffed all the way around and the edges are golden brown. The timing will depend on your own oven. Sometimes, it takes 5 minutes more, sometimes more like 10.
Serve with a dusting of Confectioner’s sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Other options are fresh berries, whipped cream, or grated chocolate. Warm blueberry compote is also nice in the winter.
