A city bakery’s new pancake premix rose to meet our expectations
Pancakes that Handa made herself with the mix
We first came across pancakes when we saw baby Michelle eating them on the ’90s TV show, Full House. Then we found a Betty Crocker premix. The fact that Betty Crocker doesn’t really exist and is just a character created for an advertising campaign didn’t dim the sweet experience of flipping pancakes in our kitchens.
While Indian breakfast menus have never quite taken to this American staple (partnered with waffles), the tradition of Sunday pancakes has fast picked up in the urban milieu over the past two years.
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Versions that the writer made
In the lockdown, when travel was out of question, many mornings meandered by with thoughts of breakfast buffets and hot pancakes that we’d slather with chocolate sauce, cream and maple syrup. But when we got to try The Super Fluffy Pancake Mix by The Baker’s Dozen (TBD), we had it on a Monday for dinner.
Aditi Handa, head baker and co-founder of TBD, adds the tagline ‘The Fluffiest Pancakes You’ll Ever Eat’, saying it’s one that people can whip up with ease. “Having changed many identities over the years as flapjack, griddlecake, hotcake and slapjack, pancakes definitely sit at the head of the world’s breakfast table,” says Handa, adding that usually, it’s difficult to find a homemade recipe for a pancake that isn’t lumpy, and is light, fluffy and airy to eat. Most are egg-based. “We tried many versions to nail this one,” she says about the eggless product with no added preservatives.
Her husband and co-founder Sneh Jain adds, “We have twins and since Aditi is the master baker, anything I would make would always come second. The idea for our new premix was birthed in our own kitchen when I realised that there must be a cheeky and innovative way to make ‘dad’ the perfect Sunday breakfast protagonist.”
The mix and the stencils
A sweet ending
The instructions are simple: add 40 ml oil and 400 ml water to the mix, and wait for two minutes before you pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a pan.
We cut open the flour mix and emptied it in a bowl, added the oil (we used olive oil) and water (about 1.5 cups). Then we pressed out the lumps and ended up with a smooth runny batter that had a sweet smell.
We poured 1/4 cup of batter as instructed onto the pan. We loved the instruction to count seven to eight bubbles before flipping it over to the other side for another 30 to 40 seconds. Our first flip-over was quite dramatic, with some batter flying off. So, we were careful with the next one. Our mouth watered every time the pancakes rose to a good fluff. There was also a smiley stencil in the pack for dusting sugar or cocoa powder. But with neither in the pantry, we used cinnamon dust. Our pancakes smiled back at us, and dinner was ready to be served.
Aditi Handa
The test kit came with a jar of dark, delish mulberry preserve and a cookie butter which is recommended with toast. The pancakes were airy and spongy, with a wholesome feel. The mulberry sauce seeped into the pores and made it a perfect indulgence that even Michelle would approve of.
Pro tips
If you’re trying to make a pancake mix from scratch at home, remember that as soon as you add the baking soda, don’t let your batter sit. This tends to make the pancake collapse and it won’t rise enough. For those making vegan versions, replace milk with non-dairy milk like almond in any recipe. The result will be similar but the taste may vary a bit.
Log on to: thebakersdozen.in, Swiggy, Zomato and Amazon
Cost: Rs 199
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