These Pancake Rolls Can Be Sweet or Savory.
I’ve never met a pancake I didn’t like. Crispy or soft, fluffy or flat, savory or sweet – they all make a filling breakfast. I belong to a rare species that eats plain pancakes. Maybe it’s because I love snacking so much. A regular pancake with no filling means I can walk around and do things while I casually chew. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the added flavor of the filling, so I modified the typical flat folded breakfast cake to fit my on-the-go needs.
These rolls are a cross between fluffy American-style pancakes and thin French pancakes. They are floppy like pancakes, but have a little baking powder added to the mixture to add a little lightness. The other main difference is the filling. Instead of covering the top of the pancakes with syrup, whipped cream or spreads that require a plate, fork and knife, the batter carries the filling inside. You don’t have to give up the flavorful “toppings”; just place them inside. The shape is a pancake that you can take in the car, on the subway or on a picnic.
How to make pancake rolls
Whether you go sweet or savory is up to you, just make sure the mixtures are fully cooked before you start because the thin pancake batter takes less than a minute to cook in the pan. Cut about one cup of mix into about six rolls. I made a savory pancake with sliced cold turkey, dry salami and grated parmesan cheese. If you are using fruit or candy, be sure to cut the pieces the size of dried lentils. Large or sharp pieces may tear the dough when you start rolling it, so the smaller or more flexible the mixture, the better. Set them aside, they will be added last.
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. The batter will be more watery than regular pancake batter. (You can see in the picture that it is quite thin.) Add in the mix-ins.
In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add about a teaspoon of butter to coat the bottom. Pour in 1/3 cup of the batter and stir the pan until the batter is even and thin. You may need to stir the batter before each pour if the additions settle to the bottom. After about a minute, the pancake will be almost dry on top and just starting to brown on the bottom. Using a rubber spatula, begin rolling the pancake as tightly as possible. I gently pressed with my finger to make the roll tighter, but be warned, it is very hot.
Let the pancake roll set, seam side down, for 10-20 seconds. You can turn the roll in the pan to get a darker color on the outside and a slightly crispier crust, but this is not necessary; the roll is fully cooked. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.
I added 1/4 teaspoon each parsley and pepper flakes, and you can add almost any dry seasoning you want to change the flavor profile. You can even add a slice of cheese, a fried egg, or a whole slice of ham to the hot pancake just before you start folding it to create a flaky breakfast pancake. I haven’t tested this yet, but I bet you can use this recipe to make Frico’s Pancake Roll. The recipe below is savory, but if you want a sweeter batter, add two tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredients.
Pancake roll recipe
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried herbs or spices (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1 glass of milk
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup chopped mixtures (precooked if raw)
- Butter for the frying pan
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. The dough will be thin. Add impurities last.
Over medium heat, add enough butter to coat the pan, about a teaspoon. Pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and stir until the batter is thin and even. Cook for about a minute until the dough is almost completely dry. Start rolling tightly from the driest end using a rubber spatula. Once rolled, continue cooking and brown the outside if desired. Cool on a wire rack and serve on the way out.