Oaty Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 25 g butter

Method

Soak the oats in milk for at least 10 minutes. This hydrates the rolled oats and softens them so they cook through and bind the batter properly. Whisk the egg with salt and sugar until pale, then fold in the softened oat mixture. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda, stirring just until combined — overworking develops gluten and makes the pancakes tough instead of tender. The baking soda reacts with the acidic egg yolk; the baking powder provides a secondary lift. Don't worry about lumps; they disappear during cooking.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and vanishes instantly. The surface needs to be hot enough to set the bottom before the interior rises, or you'll end up with dense, gluey pancakes. Wipe the hot surface with a dab of the 25g butter — it should smoke lightly — then drop spoonfuls of batter and use the back of the spoon to nudge them into rough rounds. They don't need to be perfect discs.

Watch for the bubbles that form across the surface. Once they break and the top looks set — the surface should no longer shine — slip a thin metal spatula underneath and flip in one confident motion. The underside will be golden brown and slightly firm. The second side cooks faster, about 30 to 40 seconds. Test doneness by pressing the centre gently with your fingertip; it should spring back without feeling soggy. If it collapses, the batter's too wet; if it's bone-hard, you've cooked past the point.

Stack the pancakes on a warm plate as you finish the batch. The quick-breads|quick-bread structure benefits from a few minutes of rest, which lets the crumb set and moisture distribute evenly. Slip a small knob of butter between each pancake while they're still warm so it melts into the layers. Serve immediately with griddle-cooking|griddle-cooked heat still in them, drizzle syrup over the stack, and eat at once. Sitting more than a few minutes makes them rubbery.