Fluffy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes Recipes

JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Combine milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Allow to sit until milk has soured, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a separate bowl; set aside.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla extract to the soured milk; mix until well combined and pour into the center of the flour mixture. Use a whisk to combine all ingredients. Add mayonnaise and stir until there are no lumps. Fold in egg whites.
• Heat a griddle on the stovetop over medium-low heat and melt butter. Grease round pancake molds and place onto the buttered griddle. Fill each mold halfway with batter. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on the bottom and not too liquid across the top, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip each pancake and mold together. Cook until the other sides are golden and pancakes have doubled in thickness, 4 to 6 more minutes. Slide the molds off the pancakes.

FLUFFY JAPANESE SOUFFLé PANCAKES

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients. You will also need a 12-inch non-stick frying pan (large enough to cook 3 pancakes at the same time) with a lid. It's also nice to have an infrared thermometer gun to check the temperature of the frying pan.
• Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two different bowls. Put the bowl with the egg whites in the freezer for 15 minutes. Why do we partially freeze the egg whites? Please read 3 Tips to Make Perfect Meringue (Egg Whites) in this post.
• In the meantime, add the milk and vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk until thick and frothy.
• Sift the cake flour and baking powder into the bowl.
• Whisk to combine thoroughly (do not overmix) and set aside.
• After 15 minutes, take out the bowl with the egg whites from the freezer. The egg whites should be half frozen. Now, start beating the egg whites with a hand mixer (you can also use a stand mixer or balloon whisk).
• When the egg whites turn frothy and pale white, gradually add in the sugar (roughly one-third at a time). Continue to whip the egg whites.
• The egg whites will become glossy and firm. Stop beating when you lift up the hand mixer and the egg whites stand straight up but the tip of the peak curls over onto itself. This is called medium/firm peaks (not stiff peaks yet).
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan to 300ºF (150ºC) over the lowest heat. Brush with cooking oil and lightly remove any visible oil with a paper towel (otherwise the pancakes will have a spotty pattern). Keep the pan on low heat while you combine the egg whites and egg yolk mixture in the next step.
• Take one-third of the egg whites and add to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk together (don't worry too much about breaking air bubbles at this point).
• Next, take half of the remaining egg whites and add to the egg yolk mixture. Using a whisk, gently fold them in without breaking the air bubbles in the egg whites. Why do we use a whisk instead of a silicone spatula? Please read 3 Tips to Make Perfect Meringue (Egg Whites) in this post.
• Now, transfer the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining egg whites. Carefully fold the two mixtures together without breaking any air bubbles. Make sure to mix the batter very gently until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• Keep your frying pan heated to 300 ºF (150 ºC) at all times over low heat. Remember, each pancake gets roughly 4 small scoops of batter, and you will be making three pancakes. For the first pancake, place one scoop of batter and make a tall mound in the frying pan, using a small ladle or a serving spoon (that's bigger than a regular spoon-probably 2-3 Tbsp). Next, stack one more scoop of batter onto the first scoop already in the pan. Repeat for the next two pancakes, giving each pancake two scoops of batter.
• By the time all three pancakes have two scoops, the surface of the batter is slightly dry already. At this point, you can mound one more scoop on top of each pancake, keeping the batter piled up high. In the bowl, you should still have roughly three scoops left (if you have slightly more, that's okay).
• Set the timer for 6-7 minutes, add 1 Tbsp water in three empty spaces inside the pan, and cover with a lid. The steam from the water keeps the pancakes moist while they cook. Please note: The suggested time is just a guideline; how long you will cook the pancakes is based on the temperature of your frying pan.
• After 2 minutes have passed, open the lid, and add one final scoop for each pancake (or more scoops if you have more batter). Make sure to stack the batter high, not wide. If the water has evaporated, add a little bit more. Cover with the lid and cook.
• After 6-7 minutes have passed, lift the pancake VERY GENTLY using an offset spatula. If the pancake is stuck, don't touch it until it firms up a little. If you force it, the pancake will crack in the middle. When the pancake is ready, you can easily move the pancake.
• Here is another set of images to show the process. Slightly pull the pancake to create an empty space and gently flip it over with a "rolling over" motion.
• Add more water to the empty spaces in the pan and set the timer for 4-5 minutes to cook the other side on the lowest heat setting.
• Once they are nicely browned, transfer the pancakes to your serving plates.
• Place the fresh whipped cream on the pancakes and top with the berries. Dust the pancake with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!

SUPER FLUFFY GLUTEN-FREE JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Combine flour, buttermilk, vanilla, baking powder, egg yolks, and salt for batter in a bowl.
• Whip egg whites for meringue in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer running, gradually add sugar and cream of tartar. Continue to whip until soft to medium peaks form. When the beater is pulled from the whites, the peaks will curve back down a little instead of sticking straight up. The whipped whites will turn opaque and significantly increase in volume.
• Mix 1/3 of the whipped whites into the pancake batter. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in remaining whites, in several additions, being sure there are no large clumps of egg whites in the batter.
• Grease the inside of round metal molds and place molds into a lightly greased pan over medium-low heat. Fill molds 2/3 high with batter. Cover the pan and cook until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles break the surface, about 10 minutes. Flip, cover, and cook until golden brown on the other side and tops spring back when touched, about 5 more minutes.