Why do pancakes tear and stick to the pan?

If pancakes stick to the pan, it is important to know all the reasons in order to understand exactly how to act in each case.

Why do pancakes stick to the pan?

So, there is far more than one reason here. What could it be? That:

• the dough has an inappropriate consistency;
• pancakes were made according to a recipe with incorrect proportions of ingredients;
• the housewife took a new frying pan;
• the frying pan has a damaged coating;
• the pan is not heated properly;
• not enough oil.

Most often, the problem arises when the dough is prepared “by eye”, trusting your experience. This should not be done, because the consequence of using such a recipe is often the most unpleasant: the pancakes do not come off the pan.

Problems with the recipe

What points in the pancake recipe can be violated?

• The amount of flour (it is what is responsible for the consistency).
• Soda.
• Eggs.
• Sugar.
• Oil.

So, flour. Its quantity and quality make the dough thicker or thinner. Too thick will result in thick, rough pancakes that can burn and stick as they cook through their entire thickness. If the mass turns out to be liquid, the pancakes come out too thin, so they tear when you try to turn them over or remove them.

Why does this sometimes happen, even if the recipe is followed exactly? Because they take a different type of flour.It has a different percentage of gluten, so with the same amount of liquid it can produce a thicker or thinner mixture.

How to fix it? In the first case, you need to add the liquid with which the dough was kneaded. It can be milk or water, kefir or mineral water. In the second, add flour and beat the dough with a whisk to break up any lumps that have formed. Ideally, you should end up with a mass whose thickness is approximately between kefir and sour cream.

Soda. If there is too much of it, the pancakes become so loose that they simply fall apart when you try to turn them over. If the pancakes “puff up”, gathering in folds, it means there is definitely a lot of soda. To reduce its concentration, you will have to increase the total volume of the test. That is, dilute another portion, just do not add soda to it, and mix it with the first.

Eggs. Their lack in the dough affects not only the appearance of the pancakes - they look pale and unappetizing. The eggs are tied and the ingredients are glued together. When the viscosity is sufficient, the dough particles “stick to each other” during baking, so they lag behind the pan. Otherwise, the pan attracts them with a stronger force than the one they are connected to. As a result, they stick to the pan so much that it is not always possible to clean them off without effort. If adding an egg to the mixture saved the situation, it means that the dough lacked viscosity.

Sugar. As you know, sugar begins to caramelize at high temperatures. And the greater its concentration in the dough, the stronger the pancake sticks during frying - it’s as if it’s melted to the pan by burning sugar.Therefore, you need to put it in the mixture for baking pancakes in a minimal amount or not at all, but serve honey, jam or other sweets as an addition to them.

Oil. If this ingredient is missing from the pancake recipe, there is a high risk that they will stick and burn to the pan, since it is the oil that creates a natural layer between the dough layer and the metal, eliminating their direct contact.

During cooking, the frying pan also needs to be greased with oil. At least for the first pancake.

Lubricate not only the bottom, but also the side surfaces of the frying pan, because dough is often poured onto them too. The pancake may not come off precisely because it is stuck to the side.

Why do pancakes made with kefir and milk stick?

Kefir makes pancakes unusually tender and thin. But that is why they are often difficult to remove. For baking to go smoothly, you need to cook them in a thoroughly washed and dry frying pan, turn them over with the thinnest spatula, and be sure to add vegetable oil to the baking mixture.

Pancakes made with milk can stick for two reasons: either the milk is too thick, or it was not very fresh and during the cooking process it began to sour right in the dough. In the first option, you need to dilute the milk with water in a 1:1 ratio (or add water to the finished dough). In the second, neutralize the formed acid. To do this, add a little soda and flour to the mass, and also slightly dilute it with boiling water.

Always cook pancakes with the freshest milk to avoid this problem. Then you won't have to fix anything.

Recipe for pancakes that don't stick to the pan

To make perfect pancakes you will need:

• first or highest grade flour - 2 cups;
• granulated sugar – 1.5 tbsp. spoons;
• chicken eggs – 3 pcs.;
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• medium fat milk – 1 glass;
• sparkling mineral water – 2 glasses;
• salt – 1 teaspoon.

Warm milk is poured into a bowl, mineral water is added. Gradually add the sifted flour and stir to break up the lumps. Then add the remaining ingredients and beat with a mixer. Now the dough should “walk” for about 15 minutes. After this, you need to stir it again with a whisk - and you can bake.

What's wrong with the frying pan?

Quite a lot depends on the frying pan. If everything is in order with the dough, but the pancakes still stick, then it’s the problem.

Problems may include:

• a new, just purchased frying pan was used;
• the housewife simply exchanged one household frying pan for another;
• used utensils with a damaged coating: scratches, chips, soot, unevenness;
• The dough was not poured onto a surface heated to the required temperature.

When the pancake batter hits the warm pan, it clumps and sticks together. The surface temperature must be very high. What should I do for this? Place the bowl on the fire while kneading the dough. Let it warm up properly without oil. And then you can lubricate it and pour pancakes.

How to clean a frying pan to prevent pancakes from sticking?

After purchasing the frying pan, you must at least rinse it to remove any remaining dust and debris that inevitably appears during transportation. You can use liquid dishwashing detergents for this (but never use abrasive powders!) or a soda solution.And if you bake pancakes on it, to ensure that they do not stick, it is better to heat the purchase with salt for an hour, stirring from time to time (the method is suitable for a frying pan without a non-stick coating).

If another dish was cooked in a frying pan before pancakes, it could leave its traces - tiny particles of food, fat, which will begin to burn during cooking and “stick” the pancake dough to itself. Since there is a need to cook in this particular frying pan, it also needs to be heated first.

Well, if scratches or other damage appears on the working surface, any food will inevitably stick to them, not just pancakes. If this is why they stick, you need to take another pan.

Set aside a separate pan for baking pancakes. Then there will be no particles of other food left on it.

So, there are many reasons why pancake batter sticks to a frying pan. But eliminating them is not so difficult. And you can prevent it by using a good recipe, the right cookware and quality ingredients, and preheating the pan before baking. Then pancakes, pancakes and pancakes will delight all household members every time with rosy sides and wonderful taste.