Sour Cream and Yogurt "Bittman" Pancakes

Sometimes I just really want pancakes for dinner (see also, here). Apparently I don't post the pancake recipes I use on this blog much, since I don't see more than one when I scroll back.

Last night was one of those nights when pancakes sounded better than whatever leftovers we were going to eat. Instead of using the internet I turned to How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. I've had it out a lot lately because I've been using his advice to make bread by hand (more on that another time).



















Using his suggestions, I subbed sour cream and lowfat yogurt for the milk, and used wheat flour for about half the flour portion. I ended up adding milk to the batter before frying them, since it was extremely thick. It was so thick that I had to make dense little cakes at first, then press more batter out of the sides after flipping them (which meant flipping them twice). That's what happened in the picture above.





















That said, they turned out great. I was skeptical, but this is one of the better pancake recipes I've made in a while. They were fluffy, and definitely filling. I added a few chocolate chips to about three of the pancakes.

I put random stuff on my pancakes: honey, peanut butter, faux-butter, apple sauce (unsweetened), and a defrosted version of a fruit popsicle with peaches, blueberries, a banana, and yogurt (sounds strange, but it was the perfect fruity sauce).

My one complaint is that these didn't reheat very well. Part of the reason I tend to make pancakes is that I can eat the leftovers for the rest of the week. They're great post-running food. But these were kind of tough and just generally disappointing this morning. It's a strike against this recipe, but it was still really great the night they were made.




That dark spot is a chocolate chip.










Bittman's "Everyday Pancakes,"
from How to Cook Everything

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white (or 2 cups white flour, if you prefer)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain, lowfat yogurt
2 tbs canola oil, plus more for the pan


Heat the griddle or skillet while you make the batter.
Mix the dry ingredients, set aside. Beat the eggs, then add sour cream, yogurt, and oil. Stir to combine. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just until combined (don't overmix). You may need to add milk, if the batter is too thick.
Add butter or oil to the skillet (with each addition, unless you use a good non-stick skillet). Add 1/4 cup batter at a time. You may need to lower the heat after the first batch. Cook pancakes 2-4 minutes, until the first side is brown and the top bubbles, then flip. Cook the second side for 1-2 minutes. Warm the oven and store pancakes there until serving.