Stale bread pancakes: A zero-waste twist on a classic recipe
I believe everyone enjoys pancakes. They are quick, simple, and can be created with almost anything. To make them, you only need a few ingredients and a pan. Recently, I've been moving away from traditional flour in favour of a product that might be surprising to many, but it works brilliantly in this role.
Pancakes are a dish almost everyone knows and loves. They remind me of my childhood because they were my favourite dish, and I always asked my mum for them. Would you like to make pancakes but have run out of flour at home? It turns out that's no trouble at all. Just reach for something that usually ends up in the bin, namely stale bread. It's an excellent ingredient that, when combined with milk and eggs, creates flexible, delicate pancakes. Moreover, we're not wasting food and are cooking in a zero-waste spirit. Just remember that the bread should be stale but free from any signs of mould or spoilage.
Stale bread instead of flour?
Although it may seem surprising, stale bread is essentially processed flour. After all, bread is made from flour, water, and yeast or sourdough, which are the same ingredients found in typical pancake batter. When bread dries out, it loses moisture, but its structure, based on starch and gluten, remains intact.
Soaking the bread in milk makes it soft and pliable again. After blending and adding eggs, it creates a mixture with a consistency very similar to classic pancake batter. The bread acts as a ready-to-use, slightly toasted flour base – it binds well, holds its shape, and handles frying excellently. This way, you can completely do without flour and still retain the structure and taste of pancakes.
Recipe for flourless pancakes
Pancakes are incredibly versatile. In a sweet version, they taste great with stewed apples, cottage cheese with honey, raspberry jam, or cinnamon. In a savoury version, you can fill them with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, feta cheese, chickpea paste, or vegetable ratatouille.
Ingredients:
- 100g of stale bread (bread or rolls)
- 14fl oz (approximately 400ml) of milk
- 2 eggs
- Fat for frying (oil, clarified butter, or vegetable fat)
Preparation:
- Cut or crumble the stale bread into smaller pieces. Pour milk over it and let it sit for about 10 minutes to soften.
- Blend the soaked bread into a smooth mass. Add the eggs and blend again or mix thoroughly until it forms a batter with the consistency of classic pancake batter.
- Heat a pan with a bit of fat. Pour thin portions of batter and fry the pancakes on both sides until golden brown.
