soaked grain pancakes

Since the weather change I have been looking for warm, easy breakfasts using non-gluten grains, and since I am often inclined to get up and make a batch of pancakes anyway, this could be the solution. I might have first seen this idea on My New Roots, a gorgeous site and recipe blog whose wholefood nutritional ideas reflect my own. But I can't remember, it may have been here or here. Anyway, yesterday I had the idea to soak some grains, blitz them into a kind of wet 'flour' and do some baking with it.. I made pancakes.

Along my whole food journey, pancakes or pikelets are my go-to recipe when trying out new ingredients, or new methods. This simple recipe perfect for discovering the behaviour, flavour, aroma and utility of an ingredient that I have previously had no experience of. Pancakes are so immediate you get results without a huge investment of time or the expense and risk of a more elaborate recipe.



My basic pancake recipe is
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
2T sugar
Whisk in a jug, stand three minutes (while heating a pan), cook.

Through batches of pancakes that I learned that no one in family likes amaranth flour, it's grassy green flavour is an acquired taste; that rapadura sugar does not dissolve in batter, it stays in grains and leaves a speckled caramel flavoured pikelet; honey burns more quickly than regular sugar; sprouted grain flour is more absorbent than regular flour and not as gluey, it needs to sit a bit; that frying in coconut oil sends me into a reverie of teenage summers spent slathered in LeTan.

The excitement of this project was the chance to find a way to use buckwheat. I have done the reading, know the health benefits of buckwheat, know how to cook it and the foundation recipes it's used for (kasha). But when I pop the lid on it's Kilner jar, the waft of earthy, toasty grain causes a tastebud shudder that leaves me gagging and cold. However, with this recipe I might just have found the way..Watching two little boys gobble up a plateful, this recipe has two fans already.



I photographed the first stage, intending to document the process. But once the process gained momentum, I found I was dolloping batter into the hot skillet quicker than you could say "pass the iphone, Lu,'. Next time I promise to take a photo of the finished product before I'm gobbling them hot out of the pan....

Soaked wholegrain pancakes with blueberries.

the night before..
soak 1/2 c each brown rice, buckwheat and millet.

the next day..
drain and rinse the grains.

measure
1cup soaked grain 
milk- about 1/2-1 cup
into a jug and with a stick blender puree into a thick paste. Start with just enough milk to make a thick puree. You can thin the batter down later.

Into the puree whisk or stir in 1 egg, 2T sugar.

At this point you may need to add some flour- up to 2/3 cup, depending on how runny your batter is. To keep it gluten free, use brown rice flour, remembering which ever you choose, include 2t baking powder (for raising). Then adjust the batter consistency with the rest of the milk. I like mine smooth enough to drop off a spoon, able to be poured from the jug. For a thicker, fluffier pancake, leave the batter stiff.

Heat a cast iron pan in medium-low and grease (butter or ghee preferred).
Drop in spoonfuls of batter, then nestle some blueberries on top.
Once bubbles appear, flip them and cook until golden.

Serve spread with ricotta, or plain butter and maple syrup. Or all three, Or just eat them hot from the pan, like I did..