If you love pancakes, you’re not alone. A survey found that 93% of people like pancakes, with 5% saying they don’t like them and 2% really hating them.
It’s a strange thing to hate, but that’s not the point of this article. Before we get to the remarkable science of pancakes, a little history.
Pancakes have been around for quite some time. When a 5,300-year-old man was found in ice, they found pancakes in his stomach. (It’s kind of creepy.) However, pancakes are much older than that. The first written mention of pancakes dates back to 600 BC
Since then, the basic idea and science of pancakes hasn’t changed much. More or less, they were made with the same kinds of ingredients that we have now. These ingredients are much easier to find.
Magic ingredients
Flour is the main ingredient in any pancake recipe—and for good reason.
Flour contains two proteins that, when combined with water, bind together to form a sticky substance called gluten. Without this sticky substance, the consistency of the pancakes would be very difficult. However, gluten-only pancakes wouldn’t be pancakes at all.
To get a fluffy pancake, we need to have gas (carbon dioxide) burst through the gluten just as the mixture is heated. This reaction requires an acid and a base. Almost all pancake recipes use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as a base. Many pancake recipes use buttermilk for acid.
When the acid and base combine, carbon dioxide gas is formed and these bubbles rise through the batter. When cooking, these bubbles make the pancake fluffy.
Sometimes buttermilk is not available and people use regular milk instead. However, regular milk is not an acid, so it will not react with the base to form gas bubbles. Therefore, when using regular milk, the recipe calls for baking powder.
Baking powder contains baking soda (base), tartar (acid), and cornstarch. The cornstarch is only used to keep the acid and base separated until liquid is added.
There’s just one more important note about fluffiness. If you overmix the pancake batter, the gas bubbles that your acid and base just produced will be released. Over-stirring causes tough, rubbery pancakes. You should barely stir the pancake batter.
Maillard reaction
Now that chemistry has given you the perfect pancake batter, you need to make the pancakes quickly before all that gas escapes. This is where a very complex set of chemical reactions takes place between the amino acids (from the milk and eggs) and the carbon and oxygen in the sugar.
The reaction between amino acids, carbon and oxygen creates the tastes and smells our brains crave. It is also responsible for the golden brown color and slightly crispy texture on the outside of our pancake.
The Maillard reaction completely changes the taste of our dough. This chemical reaction is also responsible for many other flavors we love, including caramel, crusty bread, chocolate, coffee, maple syrup, and cooked meat.
Pancake Facts
If that’s too sciencey, let’s finish with some pancake facts:
- The largest pancake ever made was 49 feet wide and weighed 6,614 pounds.
- The most expensive pancake can be found in England at a price of $200. There are Madagascar vanilla pods and gold leaves in the batter.
- Mrs. Butterworth’s first name is Joy.
- February 21st is National Pancake Day.
- The highest throw of a pancake from a frying pan was 31 feet, 1 inch.
- A medium pancake costs about 5 cents in ingredients. I’m eating!
Why learn about pancakes today? Mr. Szydlowski’s Jefferson Middle School class will be making pancakes while reading this article and learning about these delicious chemical reactions today. Cook your own pancakes and learn with us!
Mike Szydlowski is a science teacher and Zoo Facilitator at Jefferson STEAM School.
POP QUIZ TIME
What makes a pancake fluffy?
What does pancake batter need to form gas bubbles?
Buttermilk provides the acid in the pancake batter. What would happen if the same recipe were used but with regular milk instead?
What is a Maillard reaction?
If you eat two pancakes a week for a year, how much will the ingredients cost for a year?
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S POP QUIZ
Why were the seeds brought from England not very successful?
The soil and climate of the new place were very different from their homeland.
What is an epidemic?
An epidemic is an outbreak of disease or illness that affects many people.
Why were Native Americans so much more weakened by disease than Europeans?
Native Americans were introduced to microbes to which their civilizations were neither accustomed nor resistant.
How could things be different if the epidemics did not hit the Indians?
If the Indians had not been weakened by the epidemics, the various tribes may have united to stop colonization by the settlers.
How is the Feast of the Pilgrims and our Thanksgiving Day similar?
Both holidays are meant to give thanks for what you have.