Buzz
Weekend pancakes are more than just a fluffy breakfast. They represent a lifestyle, a statement of taking it slow. No one sets aside time for pancakes when they’re rushing to get dressed and dash out the door to catch the bus. Making pancakes takes patience—on most 8-10 inch pans, you can only cook one or two at a time. For a batch of 16, you’ll likely spend about 30 minutes by the stove. While this leisurely cooking method is one of its pleasures, it’s not ideal for keeping your pancakes warm. Prevent them from becoming cold and soggy by using a cooling rack.
It’s easy to simply put a plate next to the frying pan. Every pancake that’s done is transferred from the hot pan to a room-temperature, non-porous plate. The next pancake goes on top of the previous one, stacking up and trapping steam for the next 30 minutes. This technique is perfect if you’re aiming for soggy, cold pancakes. But if that's not what you want, grab a wire cooling rack, place it on a large baking sheet, and slide it into the oven. Set the temperature to a low 200°F, or as close to that as you can manage, and let the pancakes keep warm while you continue your cooking.
Once each pancake is ready, carefully move it into the oven and place it on a wire rack. Arrange the pancakes flat on the rack, giving each one its own space. You can slightly overlap them if your cooling rack is small, but avoid stacking them, as this will trap moisture (and not in a good way). If arranged thoughtfully, you can fit around 16 medium-sized pancakes on a 15-inch cooling rack. When the last pancake leaves the frying pan, switch off the oven and remove the tray. These fluffy delights will all feel freshly cooked, without the soggy bottoms that result from stacking.
The wire rack promotes air circulation around the pancakes, preventing the humidity buildup that occurs when you stack them on a plate. This helps preserve the crispness of the edges, especially if you fry your pancakes in butter (which I highly recommend), while the low oven keeps them warm without drying them out or overcooking them. Take your leisurely pancake time seriously; you deserve pancakes that are fluffy on the inside, crispy on the edges, and toasty-warm, even 30 minutes after they've left the pan.
