Ask any discerning foodie, a good roadsidediner is a holy institution. For families on road trips or friends craving a 4 a.m. bite, diners are reliable repositories for heaping stacks of pancakes or freshly ironed waffles. Either way, when you see that glowing golden "World's Best Diner" sign, (if you're like us) chances are you're banging a larry on the highway to try them out. A lot of establishments proudly display this stately sign, and, at some level, they're all right. Diners rock, and no matter how fluffy your homemade versions are, diner pancakes and waffles are almost certainly better -- and there are a few reasons why.
As forWaffle House, thechain is happy to share that "farm-fresh eggs and rich, creamy half-and-half" are part of its crave-able waffle equation. Not to be outdone,IHOP shares that real buttermilk is a key ingredient in its classic pancakes. Classic, whole ingredients are usually the best starting place for better hotcakes, but it's more and more common to see cheaper fillers like cornstarch and the use of shorteninginstead of butter.But flapjacks and Belgian waffles are so simple in terms of ingredients, that they won't pay the right dividends when the recipe's padded out. Whilemany iconic diner chains keep their batter recipes a secret, not reinventing the wheel — with just a supremely hot griddle and un-experimentalbatters (it's a comfort food after all) — is probably the best policy, and likely how most roadside joints keep their doors open.
It's A Diner's Job To Know More About Your Pancakes Than You Do
But this is not to discount the value of well-thought-out techniques, which established chains have down to a science.Marie Grimm, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation, revealed to Delish that to make a killer batter, the wet ingredients should be "ice cold."Using cold eggs, milk, butter, oil, and water prevents the ingredients from prematurely heating the gluten in the flour, explains Grimm, which is responsible for creating the springy bounce that IHOP pancake fans love, and have come to expect from their short stack.
Another advantage is better equipment. While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with awaffle iron or griddle that's already hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.IHOP also has designated griddles that never cook anything other than pancakes, as Jon Kotez, IHOP's senior manager of field operations support, toldRestaurant Business. Waffle House, on the other hand, mixes its batter in a special appliance called a bain marie, which is effectively a giganticdouble boilerthat evenly warms the batter for a perfect, consistent cook every time.
Diner pancakes and waffles often taste better than homemade versions due to a commitment to classic, whole ingredients and well-thought-out techniques.
Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.
An undeniable element of technique is involved in the flipping, timing, and surgical extraction of delicate waffles from the teeth of the iron. It also takes an experienced hand to not cram too much batter into the iron or underfill and end up with a thin, lackluster puck.
Waffles generally have more butter and sugar in the batter and become more caramelized while cooking, so they savor a little richer. On the other hand, pancakes are softer and easier to eat. Both take ice cream, syrup, or other sweet toppings as well as each other in a flavor sensation.
While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with a waffle iron or griddle that's already hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.
The method of cooking is much more authentic. The steps in which food should be made may not be known to a home cook but a chef makes it perfectly creating a difference between the taste of food cooked at home and restaurant. One ingredient or cooking tool may change the taste or texture of the food.
The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.
Not waiting until the iron heats up properly means your waffles will cook, but never achieve that satisfyingly crisp exterior. Overworking the batter will leave your waffles dense and chewy instead of light and airy. And stacking even the most perfect waffles will cause them to become soggy and limp in minutes.
Neither carb-tastic treat is exactly spa food (though both can be made healthier and/or made to suit special diets—by using almond flour for gluten-free versions, for instance), but if you're counting calories, waffles have about 100 more of them than pancakes, and more cholesterol too, but that's before you factor in ...
Waffles have so many extra flavors and they pair great with chicken wings! While sweet toppings pair well with waffles, savory toppings have their benefits, too!
It is marked that the Omelettes contain wheat and gluten as they are made with a splash of Buttermilk Pancake batter to create a light, fluffy Omelette. The same batter is also used in our Burritos and Bowls.
The chicken fried steak alone is responsible for 1530 of the calories. The dish also comes with a heart stopping 4130 milligrams of sodium! That's almost double the daily recommended intake! In fact, the meal exceeds the daily recommended limit in many areas.
Butter Note: The Butter Alternative and Oil they use for cooking at IHOP are both dairy-free. However, they do use whipped butter on some dishes, on toast, for serving, etc. Make sure no real dairy butter is used to make or serve your order.
The batter ingredients remain fridge cold before cooking
If you're wondering why your pancakes don't measure up to those served at a restaurant, you may want to follow the professionals' lead and leave your ingredients in the fridge until you're ready to mix the batter.
They are made with heavy cream which gives them a light, fluffy texture with golden edges that just melt in your mouth. I've never met anyone who doesn't love a good pancake. It's perfect for a crowd as you can just get out a big griddle and set out all kinds of different toppings to make it fun.
Lumps are just fine here! You want to stir until the batter is just combined, no more, no less. Overmixing leads to tough, chewy pancakes. Another step I like to take to achieve light and fluffy pancakes is to let the pancake batter rest on the countertop for 45 minutes to an hour before cooking.
Now you can have Denny's fluffy buttermilk pancakes at home everyday! Have you ever wondered why Denny's pancakes are so much more delicious than ordinary pancakes? The secret is buttermilk. Indeed, buttermilk not only makes pancakes more moist and fluffier, it also gives a tinge of tang not found in usual milk.
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