Pancake vs Waffle Batter
The difference between pancake and waffle batter exists in the ingredients and consistency of each batter. When it comes to breakfast, there are lots of food items, but pancake and waffles take the cake as these recipes are most popular among American households. The recipeslook very similar making people wonder if there is any difference in pancake and waffle batter. In this article, we shall attempt to find out the differences, if any, between the pancake and waffle batter. Nevertheless, most of you must have noted that from the appearance a pancake and a waffle differ from one another.
The dough for any bread is made up of flour and water. Leavening is either natural and takes place on its own or forced as when we add baking powder, yeast or soda. When the amount of water used is low and the mixture is manipulated using hands, the dough is supposed to be bread dough. More moisture or water means the dough cannot stand on its own and has to be baked in a pan. One can think of banana or pound cake in this category of quick breads. When the amount of moisture is even higher, the dough is referred to as batter and waffle and pancake dough is thus called batter. The batter cannot stand being wet, remaining in a bowl until it is placed inside an oven, to be cooked.
What is Pancake Batter?
Pancake batter is what we use to make pancakes. Pancake is a popular breakfast that is eaten either with syrup or with different topping such as cream, strawberries, etc. It is also softer than waffles. To make pancake, the pancake batter is poured directly onto a hot pan and does not require an iron to work as a mold. As such, the batter is thinner in consistency. However, the consistency depends on individual preference. There are people who prefer thinner pancakes and there are those who like to eat thick pancakes too.
When it comes to the ingredients, the basic pancake batter contains flour, water or milk, sugar, and baking powder. Egg and butter are optional. Also, the amount of sugar is lesser than that used for waffle batter.
What is Waffle Batter?
Waffles are a thicker baked product that is very popular as a breakfast food. Waffle irons are what waffle batter is poured into in order to get the desired shape. Thus, there are iron girdles that provide round, heart, or square shape to waffles made in the end. There are girdles that allow making thicker or thinner waffles too.
Talking of batter, the ingredients in the recipes are nearly the same as pancake, but the amounts differ. Also, here, almost all recipes ask for butter and egg. But the vegetarians can replace egg with substitutes. Also, people make use of forced leavening in the form of baking soda, egg whites, yoke, or baking powder. In general, the batter of waffle tends to be thicker than the batter used to make pancakes.
Here, is a piece of advice. Do not go for a thinner batter to make waffle as it has to be put into iron. One difference that stands out is that the waffle batter is sweeter and fatter so as to turn waffles browner and crispier. Another difference is that many whips up egg whites and yokes separately, and adds to waffle batter just before cooking in the oven. This foam makes the waffles airier than pancakes. Waffles tend to be crispier.
What is the difference between Pancake and Waffle Batter?
• Consistency:
• Waffle batter tends to be thicker than the batter of pancakes.
• Fat:
• Waffle1 batter contains more fat than pancakes.2
• Sugar:
• Waffle batter contains more sugar than that of pancakes.
• Leavening Agent:
• Traditional English pancake batter does not use baking powder as a leavening agent. In North America, they use baking powder in pancake batter. For 12 pancakes 4 teaspoons of baking powder are used.3
• Waffle batter uses baking powder. For a waffle batter mixture that serves four people 7g of baking powder is added.4
• Making Shapes:
• Pancake batter is not poured into different shaped irons to make shapes generally. However, on occasion people arrange their pancakes in different shapes too.
• The waffle batter is poured into differently shaped irons to make round, square, or heart-shaped waffles.
• Cooking Method:
• Pancake batter is poured onto a flat, hot surface and cooked by turning sides.
• The waffle batter is poured between two waffle irons. It is these irons that give the shape to the waffle.
• Softness vs Crispiness:
• Pancake is softer.
• Waffle is crispier.
As we can see pancake and waffle batter is not much different though they end up presenting two different types of delicious food items.
References:
Images Courtesy:
- Light and airy pancakes by Gail (CC BY 2.0)
- Waffle batter being poured on waffle iron by megan.chromik (CC BY-SA 2.0)
