Rich, when you wake up in the morning and know you need pancakes, it is time to try my whole wheat yogurt pancakes! I use freshly ground, soft white wheat berry flour for part of the flour. I would be happy to provide you with some, however, if you want to grind your own, it could even be done with a hand operated grinder, since you only need about 1/2 cup. I use my electric WonderMill Grain Mill
Whenever you add freshly ground flour to non-yeast baked goods, you need to use pretty close to 1/4 cup extra fresh ground flour per cup of flour called for in the recipe for the amount substituted, assuming it is not written expressly for fresh ground flour. That is, if the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, and you want to substitute one of those for 1 cup of whole wheat flour, use 1 ¼ cups of the freshly ground whole wheat flour and just 1 cup of the regular, standard store bought flour. Otherwise, there will not be enough of the endosperm (the only part that is used in standard white flour) of the wheat berry (which is what the wheat seed is called) present in correct ratios to interact with the rest of the ingredients properly. The outer shell, or bran, of the wheat berry is generally the only “whole wheat” part in pre-ground whole wheat flour, as third part, the “germ” or “embryo,” gets rancid and loses vitamin content too quickly for much shelf life. That germ is also the oiliest part of the wheat berry, and thus adds quite a bit of flavor. Another helpful piece of information is that the bran and germ present in freshly ground wheat flour usually don’t seem to add enough extra bulk or absorb more liquids, such that there is a need for more than is called for in the original recipes.
It is best to start heating the griddle, or flat pan, on low heat before beginning to mix ingredients. You may have to turn it up right after putting the first pancakes on to cook, but meanwhile you just want it to heat gently, until a few small beads of water will skittle over the surface when sprinkled on. Then, I put a very thin layer of oil on my steel griddle.
Edit May 8, 2016:
We have been using a modified, fluffier version of this recipe for a few months now, after dear husband did some research. Here is a a pdf of the revised recipe: Fluffy Pancakes
For ease of viewing it first, here is the same recipe:
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup white, unbleached flour
- 1/2 + 3 Tablespoons freshly ground soft wheat flour
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Add the vinegar to the milk, stir, then set aside to sour.
In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Now beat the egg in a separate small bowl. Stir yogurt, oil, and soured milk.
Pour liquids into dry ingredients all at once. Only stir until it is mostly mixed. It is okay to leave a few small lumps of dry mix, as the goal is to avoid stirring away the bubbles that result from the vinegar coming into contact with the baking soda.
The original recipe below still works. It is just not a reliably fluffy. The cooking hints are all still applicable.
To make the pancakes, begin by:
- beating 1 egg
Now, you can add everything else before stirring anymore:
- ½ cup regular (and I prefer unbleached) white flour
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly ground wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cups plain, low fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon, slightly rounded, sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Here is the recipe in easily printable PDF form: Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes
Once that is all in the bowl, mix it together with a good sized rubber spatula or a wooden spoon just until it is blended moist. Too much mixing will make it loose it puffiness. The batter should be slightly thick and foamy, but not at all stiff. It should be able to pour. A little milk or more yogurt can be added if it seems too thick.
Use about ¼ to ⅓ cup of pancake batter for each pancake. That way, they will be easier to flip. Pour the batter onto the hot griddle, possibly turning up the heat some if needed. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles start to form and pop and the edges become drier. You can lift a side and peek to see what stage it is at, but if you do this before it has browned some, it will be a gooey mess. If it is getting dark too quickly, adjust the heat down some, but not too drastically. In the case of pancakes, cooking a bit on the slow side is usually better than black outsides and an uncooked center.
Flipping the pancakes will go better using a metal spatula with a beveled edge, as well as one that is large enough to hold the pancake. When the first side of the pancake is browned enough, slide the spatula under in one, swift, but gentle motion. Toss the pancake on its other side on the hot griddle, and cook until the middle springs back to a slight pressure of the spatula and there is no wet batter coming out of the sides.
This recipe makes about ten 4 inch pancakes. The fresh ground whole wheat in combination with the yogurt gives them such a good flavor that all I want on them is butter. They freeze well, especially with waxed paper between pancakes. They don’t take very long to make and are a great way to start the day!
