Shrove Tuesday, the traditional holiday celebrated the day before the Christian Lent, is now almost exclusively associated with pancakes by many people around the world.

Pancakes come in many shapes and sizes and are eaten in cultures around the world. From French crepes to American griddle cakes to Indian dosas, these versatile rings of fried dough provide endless sweet and savory indulgences.

But no matter how you enjoy it, a little science can go a long way in making this Pancake Day a huge success (as long as you don't get carried away and end up flipping pancakes on the floor).We collaborated with materials chemists and food scientists. Professor Matt Hartings and professor of fluid mechanics. Ian Eames Add scientific rigor to your favorite pancake recipes.

1. Swap regular milk for buttermilk

Most pancake recipes use some type of milk. But if you want the perfect layer of American fluffy pancakes, pancakes with a little bit of butter slowly melting on the surface, you should replace regular milk with fermented buttermilk.

You can substitute the same amount of buttermilk for milk in most recipes. “For me, the best pancakes have to be made with buttermilk,” Hartings explains. “This ingredient provides an irreplaceable punch of flavor and I never make pancakes without it.

“Key molecules found in buttermilk include diacetyl, which has a buttery aroma; many aldehydes and ketones, some floral and fruity; amino acids, which have a umami flavor; acids – Especially lactic acid and citric acid.

“These acids are doubly important in that they not only add flavor but are part of the one-two punch that makes pancakes rise. These acids react with the baking soda in the batter to produce carbon dioxide. This will cause the pancakes to become fluffy while cooking.

Don't have buttermilk at home today? Squeezing lemon juice into the batter (we recommend 1 tablespoon per 250 ml of milk) has the same effect as the acid in buttermilk, giving the pancakes the perfect frothy texture.

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2. Add melted butter to the dough.

If you want to give your stack of American pancakes that classic golden-brown color, this step is non-negotiable. why? Mr Hartings said: “A buttered batter will ensure that your pancakes are perfectly golden brown from edge to edge.

“However, this brown color is not entirely due to butter. That beautiful brown color and accompanying flavor are the product of the Maillard reaction.”

The Maillard reaction is a complex process that occurs when sugars and proteins are exposed to heat, producing compounds known as melanoidins. These compounds are what give food its brown color and distinctive flavor when cooked.

Grilled steak, bread, toasted marshmallows, and pancakes all have these reactions when cooked.

“Butter may play a role in producing the chemical components that are part of Maillard, but butter is most important here, ensuring consistent thermal contact between the pancake batter and the hot skillet. ” says Hartings.

Try melting about a quarter of the flour by weight and adding melted butter to the mixture at the same time as milk.

Pro tip: Maillard reactions favor non-acidic environments. That said, if you're using buttermilk, adding a little more baking soda than called for in the recipe will help you achieve the desired browning.

3. Use the golden ratio

Unlike fluffy American pancakes, British pancakes are much thinner and wider. According to Eames, wrote an entire scientific paper All about making perfect pancakes, the secret to delicious pancakes lies in knowing how to get the perfect balance of ingredients.

“The characteristics of a pancake are determined by the baker's ratio,” he says. This is approximately equal to the amount of milk (in milliliters) in the dough divided by the mass of flour (in grams).

“This ratio indicates how much liquid is in the pancake mix and how thin the pancakes are. Compared to other countries, British pancakes tend to be very thin and wide, resulting in The mix contains a lot of dairy ingredients.”

Eames' research concluded that the correct Baker ratio is approximately:

• 1 American style pancakes
• 2 British pancakes
• 3 for French crepes

Sounds like too much math? If you're trying to make English pancakes, Eames recommends using 200 ml of milk, 100 g of flour, and 1 or 2 eggs.

4. Please rest!

We know what pancake day is like. All you want to do is dash home and lose weight with fried batter in as little time as possible. You may want to rush things. But please don't let that happen.

why? If you want to make thin pancakes, an important step is to let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

The reason for this is the protein “glutenin” contained in wheat flour. This protein is initially inactive, but when mixed with water it stretches and bonds with other gluten molecules. This forms a network that traps the air bubbles. This is great if you want thick, fluffy pancakes, but less ideal for traditional thin pancakes.

Letting the mix rest for a while allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter, and giving the gluten time to relax, making the pancakes less prone to pesky bubbles.

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About our experts

matt hartings He is an associate professor of chemistry at American University in Washington. His research aims to develop new materials for 3D printing and environmental monitoring, and to explore how biology creates materials. Hartings is also an expert in food and cooking chemistry and has written a book on the subject. kitchen chemistry.

Ian Eames Professor of Fluid Mechanics at University College London. His research interests include fundamental fluid mechanics and extreme environment engineering. His entertaining scientific paper on how to make the perfect pancake formed part of a more serious study of biological membranes in the eye.