Roly-Poly Pancakes

File:Dots appearing on second side of a Roly Poly Pancake when using 2 day old batter made with whole milk.jpg

Ingredients

• 1½ cups + 1 tablespoon skim milk
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon egg, beaten
• 1 cup unbleached bread flour, King Arthur brand
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Sift the flour and salt together.  Do not use skim milk prepared from a dry mix.  Whole or 2% milk work just fine; however, if you use whole milk, you will need to add one to two additional tablespoons to the amount specified for the skim milk.  If you double the recipe, you can use 1 whole large size egg.  Beat the egg and then add to the milk.  Stir slowly a couple times with a spoon; however, do not try to mix well.

Add the flour mixture to a bowl and then add 1/2 of the milk mixture. Mix well with a wire whisk. Add 1/3 at a time of the remaining milk mixture, mixing well each time before adding the additional milk. Run through a wire seive if necessary to eliminate lumps. Pour the batter into a sealable pitcher or 4-cornered sealable plastic container.

A large heavy skillet with a low edge and a nonstick surface is best. Preheat for around 8 minutes over the largest burner if you have an electric stove. Preheat at the same setting that you will be cooking the pancakes at. A heat setting of 6 out of 9 works will with some stoves. A pancake should be finished in 1 minute 35 seconds. Increase or decrease the heat setting as needed to obtain this ideal time.

Pour the pancake batter to 2/3 to 3/4 of the desired finished size of the pancake.  Pick up the pan immediately after pouring the batter and tilt it so that the batter spreads and flows to the full intended size.  If the batter is fairly thick, do not be afraid to tilt the pan almost vertically, if needed, to get the batter to spread out quickly.  Immediately tilt the pan in the opposite direction that you just tilted it, to even out the depth of the batter.  You will probably need to tilt the pan in several different directions to even out the shape and depth of the pancake.

The first side of the pancake should be fried for about 50 to 55 seconds before flipping.  The second side, after it has been fried, will have a very different appearance than the first side.  A sign of a batter that is thin enough and has been spread out well by tilting the pan is that you may see the edge of the pancake loosen and rise up in several spots to create ruffles as the end of the frying time is neared.

Refrigerating left over batter for one to 5 days in a sealable plastic container works well. Batter made with fresh lactose free milk stores longer. Before using the refrigerated batter, stir slowly and thoroughly to loosen any settled flour in the bottom and in the corners of the container with a spoon.

If using syrup as a topping, the pancake can be folded twice.  For a nutty version, try spreading margarine and then honey over the entire pancake.  Then add finely chopped pecans or English walnuts on 1/2 of the pancake before making the first fold.  Rose's Lime Fine Cut Marmalade is my favorite spread.  A thin layer of warmed and softened Philadelphia cream cheese alone or with an additional thin layer of jelly or jam over the top makes a great topping.  Cream cheese and raspberry jam are a good combination.

2 servings, makes 6 pancakes that are 7 inches in diameter.