The Scientific Secret Of Fluffy Pancakes

Have you ever wondered what makes pancakes so fluffy, Why do pancake recipes always tell you not to overmix the batter, The answers to these questions lie in a protein called gluten. In this activity you'll learn about the chemical processes that make pancakes fluffy—and also why overmixing your pancake batter will result in tough, rubbery and flat pancakes.

Pancake batter is composed of two crucial parts: dry ingredients (usually flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) and wet ingredients (usually milk, eggs and butter). Flour contains starch and protein. A starch is like a long chain of simple sugars. An example of a simple sugar is glucose, which is what plants produce to feed themselves in a chemical process called photosynthesis.

A protein is a long, chainlike molecule made up of smaller molecules called amino acids. Flour contains a protein called glutenin (or gluten), which is crucial for the formation and structure of pancakes and baked goods. Gluten also provides the "chewy" texture in pancakes and breads. When the flour is dry, the gluten molecules are nearly immobile, which means that they do not move much.

They also do not bond (or "link") to one another. When the flour is moistened with water (or with milk and eggs, which are composed mainly of water), the gluten molecules become active. Wet gluten molecules are elastic and springlike (which means that they can change shape under pressure) and plastic (meaning they can maintain their shapes after being stretched and moved around). When flour is mixed with water, gluten proteins loosen from one another, stretch out and begin to rearrange. Further mixing allows the end of a gluten protein to bond with the end of another gluten protein.

As the gluten proteins come in contact with one another, they continue to bond. With additional mixing, the proteins create a tighter and tighter weblike network of proteins that are able to trap air bubbles. When chemical leaveners, such as baking powder, create bubbles in a cooked pancake, the gluten network traps these bubbles and allows a pancake to rise and stay fluffy yet still keep its shape.

Recipe makes about 12 small pancakes, enough for four to six people. • Have an adult help you to safely turn on the stove - top burner when you are ready to cook the pancakes. • Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after the experiment. • Remember to clean the kitchen and dirty dishes after the experiment.

• Whisk lemon juice and milk in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients. • Whisk egg and melted butter into milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the "Mixed until combined-lumpy" bowl. Pour in milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined.

Some lumps of flour should remain in the batter; you may see streaks of flour , too. • In the bowl labeled "Mixed until smooth," whisk the batter thoroughly until completely smooth, then stop mixing. What do you notice about this batter, What are the differences among the three bowls of batter, Based on the background information, what do you think will distinguish the three batters in the final cooked pancakes,

What do you think is happening to the overmixed batter in the second and third bowls, • Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for three to five minutes. • Add one teaspoon of oil to the skillet or griddle and coat the bottom evenly. Use a measuring cup to scoop batter. From the "Mixed until combined-lumpy" bowl, place one-quarter cup of batter onto two to four spots on the skillet (each pancake will contain one-quarter cup of batter).

Cook the pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side. Put the two pancakes on a plate. What do you notice about the pancakes made from the lumpy batter, • Make observations of the fluffiness and height of the pancakes .

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