Fancy some crepes? You don’t have to be French to know how to make these delicious pancake variations. The good thing is that crepe batter is straightforward to prepare. It can also be extremely forgiving, which gives you a chance to make a mistake or two. Best of all, when making crepe batter at home, you get to choose every aspect of it all, from the kind of fillings to use to the type of crepes to make. Hopefully, this short guide will help get you started.
What is crepe batter made of?
Crepes are simply thin pancakes. While their batter might be similar to that of pancakes, they have one slight difference. Crepe batter doesn’t include a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Instead, it only uses flour to create that sweet and crispy taste.
Crepe batter ingredients differ from each other. The ideal ingredients will depend on whether you want sweet or sour batter and the other flavors you would like included in the final dish. However, the basic batter includes eggs, milk, butter, flour, salt, and/or sugar.
French crepe batter
Crepes originated from France. The whole origin of the delicacy was by accident. A housewife accidentally spilled thin porridge onto her hot, flat pan back in the 13th century. Since the French were known never to waste food, she decided to taste the results, and the rest is history.
Since then, crepes have evolved. For instance, savory French crepes have historically been made from buckwheat, while the delicately flavored variety is created using wheat and sweet fillings. The French would also often replace milk with water and wine whenever milk was in short supply.
Crepe batter consistency
The final taste and outcome of crepes trickle down to the batter’s consistency and the ingredients. By default, the main ingredients are eggs, milk, water, butter, salt and/or sugar, and flour. However, you can also add other ingredients to play around with the taste. For instance, you can add fruit, whipped cream, and honey.
Attaining the perfect consistency will require a few steps. Start by sifting the flour into the liquid mixture slowly to reduce the chances of lump development. When adding butter, cool it after melting it to avoid lump formation. Next, use an electric whisk to improve the consistency, and let the batter sit for an hour or two before cooking the crepes. Your batter shouldn’t be too thick.
Can you make crepe batter the night before?
It is recommended to let the batter sit for one or two hours, but the longer, the better. Resting the batter will allow your flour to absorb the liquid ingredients fully. It also ensures that the gluten relaxes. While the crepes will still be okay without this waiting period, letting them sit could make a huge difference.
How To Make Perfectly Round Crepes?
Savory crepe batter
Unlike sweet crepe batter created from wheat, savory batter requires buckwheat to make and omits the sugar. The positive thing is that savory crepe batter is gluten-free, ideal for wheat allergies or gluten intolerance. This option uses different savory fillings, including ratatouille, mushrooms, ham, cheese, eggs, and meat products.
If you are looking for something to include in your breakfast or dessert, crepes are the perfect option. Best of all, they are as sweet as they are easy to make. Feel free to check out online crepe recipes to get started.
