Fermenting Paltrow's Pancakes

The last couple of weeks have been adventures in wild fermentation for me. I’ve never done it before and was filled with some fear. The word fermentation makes my husband say, “Yuck, gross.” But really, it’s one of the best things you can do to flour and grains to make them more digestable. So, what is it?

Well, my husband’s reaction is kind of on the mark in the sense that the term, fermention, conjures up the words “sour, spoiled, breakdown.” In fact, when done with intention fermentation is a process of breaking down and adding healthy bacteria to your flour and grains, aiding it’s digestibility like never before. I don’t know if it’s just me…but I felt the guilt of eating pancakes three mornings in a row, as I experimented with different types of flour and fermentation processes, lift as I felt that I was eating something in which the potential nutrients had become more available to my body.

I’ve always wanted to try foodie and health purveyor Gywneth Paltrow’s favourite pancake recipe that she posted on her newsletter Goop. I thought I would take her recipe one step further by fermenting the batter overnight. After several tries…this was my favourite and most tasty version of GP’s recipe.

How to Ferment your Pancake Batter

To ferment your flour add the following ingredients in a bowl and gently mix them. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm dry place (such as on top of the fridge) for about 12 hours.

½ cup: Buckwheat Flour
½ cup: White Spelt Flour

11/4 cups Buttermilk
1 or 2 teaspoons of plain, organic (goat) yogurt

The next morning add the remaining wet ingredients in one bowl, and the dry ingredients in another. Mix each and then together and then add to your fermented dough.

RECIPE
SERVES: 3 or 4 (makes about a dozen pancakes)
1 1/4 cups butter milk
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup white spelt flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Be careful not to over-mix, as that’s how you get tough pancakes. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat Ladle as many pancakes as possible onto your griddle. Place a few slices of banana on top of each pancake. Cook for about a minute and a half on the first side or until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the underside is nicely browned. Flip and cook for about a minute on the second side. Repeat the process until you run out of batter. Serve stacked high with plenty of maple syrup. Enjoy!

READ HERE for the original recipe . Feel free to play with different types of flour and gluten free varieties. Paltrow suggests some gluten- and dairy-free options.