Please help with gluten free Orange yogurt pancakes.

[MsBees]

I also posted this at the KA Bakers Circle.

This weekend we have some family friends visiting and the wife is gluten free. She said the only thing she is really missing is pancakes. ::;sigh::: she also said she knows that I can finally find a recipe that she likes. LOL...nothing like a little pressure. Anyway, after reading reviews I bought the King Arthur Gluten Free pancakes. But I would also like to try to alter a family favorite recipe of mine that i have been making for over 30 years. I will post the recipe below and hope that some of you could share suggestions regarding using gluten free flour. My specific questions are; should I use the same amount of flour and should I use xantum gum. To be honest I don't even know what that is and what it will do for the pancakes.

Thanks in advance for your help.

MsB's Orange Yogurt Pancakes

1)Combine and mix well;
-Lightly grated rind of 1 orange
-1 T sugar 1/3 cp orange juice
-3/4 cp plain yogurt
-1 lge egg
-2 T melted and cooled butter

2)Into another bowl sift together;
-1 cp flour (going to use KA gluten free flour)
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2tsp baking powder
-1/4tsp salt

3)Add yogurt mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

4) Heat heavy griddle over moderately high heat and brush generously with butter. Spoon rounded T. of batter on griddle spreading pancake with back of spoon to form a 3" round. Cook pancake 1 to 2 minutes or until underside is golden and top is bubbly. Turn pancake and cook an additional minute or until underside is golden brown.

5)transfer pancakes as they cook to oven proof platter and keep warm in low oven.

Serve with plain yogurt, seedless strawberry jam and slice strawberries.

[todao]

Gluten is not a necessary component in pancakes. You all know that pancakes are easily made using just about any type of flour; it's commonly done using corn meal/flour and rice flour.

[MelMM]

I've been cooking gluten free for over a decade. For pancakes, I would not use xanthan gum. Some people will disagree, but it is a laxative and doesn't agree with many people. I try to avoid using it whenever possible. As a rule, if it's a recipe like pancakes, biscuits, cookies, pie crust... anything where if you were cooking with wheat you might use a low gluten flour (pastry flour), you are good to go with skipping the gums.

For your recipe, I would substitute the KA gluten-free flour 1-1, but be prepared to reduce the total amount of liquid just a bit. Or add just a bit more flour, whatever works. Pancakes are one of the easiest things on the planet to make gluten-free.

[MsBees]

Thanks MelMM. Yikes sure don't want to use a laxative on guests. I'll try the 1-1 ratio and see how it works out.

[MelMM]

Well, the laxative may or may not bother them. It's in most commercial gluten-free baked goods.

Just go by feel and look at the consistency of the batter. For yeast breads, gluten-free doughs have a very different consistency, so it is harder to get a feel for. But for pancakes, you want it to look about like what your normal batter looks like, or, since you aren't using xanthan gum, just a tiny hair thicker. Nice thing with pancakes is that you can also make a test pancake, and it it doesn't come out just right, adjust the batter.

I think you are right to go with your recipe which has a lot of added flavor from the yoghurt and orange. One of the biggest problems with gluten-free flours - especially the mixes like KA, is that they are kind of bland. Having flavorful ingredients mixed in will really help your final product.

[MsBees]

Again thanks for your help. Although I have very little experience with gluten free I thought that this recipe would be a good candidate for exactly the reason you mention.

[MelMM]

Smart cookie. You'll do fine, don't sweat it.

[pinehurst]

MsBees, the kings and queens of gluten free cooking are on the Special Diets board.
Cheers! Pinehurst

[MsBees]

Thank you pinehurst. I didn't even know there was a special diet board. Cool!