There are so many names for oven pancakes. I have heard everything from Dutch baby to puff pancakes to German pancakes. Whatever you choose to call them, they are a wonderful breakfast treat that can also be enjoyed at any time of day. They are made with hearty and filling ingredients and don’t require much active cooking time which is what makes them a great for a quick and easy breakfast or meal.
I cannot believe I went my entire childhood and a good portion of my adult life without having tried an oven pancake. For beginners, I don’t even think I knew what they were until I was in college.
Once I heard of them and saw pictures of them, their beautiful puffy texture resembled that of a soufflé which seemed way too hard to make. In reality, I could not have been more wrong. Oven pancakes are extremely easy to make. In fact, it is quite hard to mess up if you preheat your pan properly. While this gluten free version doesn’t puff quite as much since gluten is important for rising, it is still a beautiful and delicious treat!
Fresh Milled Sourdough Oven Pancake Recipe (Gluten Free)
The one ingredient that sets these oven pancakes apart is the fresh milled flour. The depth of flavor and nutrients in a freshly milled flour in unmatched by shelf-stable store-bought options.
Did you know that freshly milled flour would actually spoil in a few days if left at room temperature? This is due to the fat component that makes up the outer hulls of most flours. When you purchase a store bought flour of any kind, the outer hull has been removed to make it more shelf stable. However, this is where so many of the nutrients are! Additionally, gluten free flours often contain chemical fillers to help them mimic traditional flour.
About Fresh Milled Sourdough Oven Pancake
When if comes to freshly milled gluten free flours, there are a few options. The go-to options in my pantry are millet, sorghum, and buckwheat. This recipe can be made with any of the those options individually or a combination of any of the three. Each has its own beneficial properties, but I have found that a 50/50 ratio of millet and sorghum best mimics the properties of a traditional flour.
Difference Between An Oven Pancake and Regular Pancakes
The biggest difference between an oven pancake and regular pancakes is how much time you spend actively cooking. While you have to stand in front of the stove constantly monitoring and flipping traditional pancakes; you can just mix together and oven pancake, stick it in the oven, set a timer, and walk away. For this reason, the oven pancake is so much easier to make if you have other projects going on in the kitchen or around the home.
The other difference is the greater amount of butter used to make an oven pancake which, in my opinion, makes them richer and much more delectable than a traditional pancake.
Why Fresh Milled Sourdough Oven Pancakes Are Simply The Best
- Quick & Easy: An oven pancake can be mixed up and baked all within a 20-30 minute period. Now that is a quick meal! You can use sourdough discard for this recipe and the rest of the ingredients are likely ones that you already have on hand, making it super simple to whip up when needed.
- Fresh Flour: In my biased opinion, fresh milled flour is far superior in taste and texture to a traditional flour. Not only is the taste better, but it contains already contains all the synthetic nutrients that get added back to enriched flour in a more bioavailable form.
- Nutrient Dense: Eggs, butter, and freshly milled flour are the three primary ingredients in an oven pancake. These ingredients are filling and packed with a healthy balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates that won’t give you the same sugar spike as regular pancakes.
- Cost Effective: While the cost of food in general is rising, hearty staple ingredients like the ones in this oven pancake will fill you up and help you stretch your food budget.
Ingredients
- Gluten Free Sourdough Starter (Discard or Active): Either active or inactive sourdough starter will work for this recipe. This will give the oven pancake a slightly tangy sourdough taste.
- Milk: I prefer to you whole raw milk for its health benefits and flavor but any kind of milk works well.
- Butter: This is the ingredient that sets it apart from a regular pancake. It makes the pancake so rich creamy!
- Eggs: Preferably large pasture-raised eggs.
- Maple Syrup, Honey Or Sugar: Any of these three sweeteners will work in this recipe
- Vanilla: Adds a smooth comforting flavor.
- Salt: Enhances the rest of the flavors of the dish.
Instructions
- Place a 8 or 9 inch cast iron pan in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. It is VERY important that the cast iron pan is fully heated to ensure that the oven pancake will puff up correctly.
- Add all ingredients except the butter to a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Turn the stand mixer on low or whisk ingredients together until combined.
- Once the oven and cast iron pan are fully heated, place the butter in the pan to melt.
- Gently swirl the butter around in the pan to coat it evenly and pour in your pre-mixed batter.
- Place pan in oven and cook at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream and enjoy.
Common Questions
What type of fresh milled gluten free flour should I use in an oven pancake?
I primarily use three different gluten free flours that I mill fresh which are millet, sorghum, and buckwheat. While each has its own beneficial properties (buckwheat has a wonderful nutty flavor), any combination of the three types can be used in this recipe. My preference is a 50/50 ratio of millet and sorghum since this combination has the most similar properties to flour with gluten.
Can you reheat an oven pancake?
While it is certainly best when fresh, you can absolutely reheat any leftovers. The oven pancake will maintain its light, fluffy texture best when reheated in the oven. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place it in an oven safe dish. Let it warm up for about 10 minutes depending on the size of your slice. I also like to add the maple syrup to let that get warm too.
Can you double an oven pancake recipe?
Yes, the recipe can easily be doubled. You have a couple of options when it comes to this. Either use a a larger cast iron skillet (12 inch instead of an 8 or 9 inch one) or use two different cast iron past to bake. This will ensure that the oven pancake cooks through thoroughly while still remaining light and fluffy. If it is cooked all in one smaller pan, it will be more dense and take longer to cook.
Do you really need to use that much butter for an oven pancake?
For optimal flavor and rise, it is best to use all the butter the recipe calls for. However, it will still taste very good with half the amount of butter. It will just be a bit less butter and may not rise quite as much as when using the full amount of butter.
What toppings go well on an oven pancake?
Perhaps the better question is “what doesn’t go well on an oven pancake”? Just kidding, I’m sure there are many things. While of course you can’t go wrong with a drizzle of maple syrup, you can also include toppings like jams, jellies, fresh fruit, whipped cream, yogurt, honey, applesauce, nuts, and chocolate chips. I’m sure there are so many more great options. Comment below what your favorite toppings are!
Even More From Scratch Breakfast Recipes You Might Enjoy….
Homemade Pork Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Easy French Toast Bake Casserole
Sourdough Waffle Recipe (Active or Discard)
Fresh Milled Sourdough Oven Pancake Recipe (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 1 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet
- Mixing Bowl and Whisk or Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cups and Utensils
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Sourdough Starter active or discard
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 4 Large Eggs preferably pasture raised
- 1 tbsp Maple, Syrup, or Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp Butter melted
Instructions
- Place a 8 or 9 inch cast iron pan in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. It is VERY important that the cast iron pan is fully heated to ensure that the oven pancake will puff up correctly.
- Add all ingredients except the butter to a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Turn the stand mixer on low or whisk ingredients together until combined.
- Once the oven and cast iron pan are fully heated, place the butter in the pan to melt.
- Gently swirl the butter around in the pan to coat it evenly and pour in your pre-mixed batter.
- Place pan in oven and cook at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
Is the amount of flour actually listed in the recipe?
The flour is in the sourdough starter. There is no flour needed outside of the sourdough starter.
I’m guessing you have a gluten-free sourdough recipe. Could you please share?? I’m bidding in an online auction for a grain mill and about to get into the world of freshly-milled gluten-free grains!
I don’t have a gluten-free sourdough starter recipe at this time, but I made it the same way you would make one with regular flour. Start with one cup of flour and one cup of water. Cover with a lid or tea towel and wait 24 hours and discard half of mixture (this ensures you get beneficial bacteria to grow). Then add 1 cup of flour and one cup of water again. Repeat this process for seven days until the mixture is bubbly. After the 7th day, you should no longer need to remove half the mixture and can use the sourdough starter you made.