Pancakes & French Toast of the World
France soaked stale bread in milk and eggs and called it lost bread. The Dutch baked bacon into plate-size pancakes, Japan whipped them three inches tall, and America stacked them high with butter and maple syrup. Here is every style, step by step.
Breton Buckwheat Galette Complète
A thin, lacy buckwheat crêpe from Brittany, filled in the pan with Swiss cheese, ham and an egg, then folded into a square around the yolk.
Dutch Pannenkoeken with Bacon (Spekpannenkoeken)
Plate-size Dutch pancakes, thinner than an American pancake and thicker than a crêpe, with strips of bacon baked right into the batter and dark syrup poured on top.
Swedish Pancakes (Pannkakor) with Lingonberry Jam and Cream
Thin, crisp-edged Swedish pancakes made from a simple milk, egg and flour batter, rolled or folded and served with lingonberry jam and whipped cream, Thursday-style.
Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
Tall, wobbling pancakes made by folding a stiff meringue into a light yolk batter, then cooking them low and slow under a lid with a splash of water for steam.
Korean Hotteok (Sweet Filled Pancakes)
A chewy yeasted dough made with sweet rice flour, wrapped around brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts and pressed flat in an oiled pan until the filling melts into syrup.
American Buttermilk Pancakes (The Diner Stack)
Fluffy, tangy buttermilk pancakes leavened with baking powder and baking soda, rested so the batter thickens, griddled at 350°F and stacked high with butter and maple syrup.
The Dutch Baby (Seattle Oven Pancake)
A blender batter of eggs, milk and flour poured into a skillet of sizzling butter and baked at 425°F until it puffs up high around the edges, served the original way with lemon and powdered sugar.
Pain Perdu (French "Lost Bread")
Thick slices of day-old brioche soaked in vanilla milk, eggs and sugar, browned in butter, then sugared and finished in a hot oven until the tops caramelize, served as a dessert the French way.
Arme Ritter (German "Poor Knights")
Day-old kaiser rolls halved, soaked in sweet egg milk, fried golden in clarified butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, Germany's frugal French toast.
Torrijas (Madrid Holy Week French Toast)
Thick slices of day-old bread soaked in milk steeped with cinnamon and lemon peel, dipped in egg, fried in olive oil and drizzled with honey, the Lent and Holy Week sweet of Madrid.
Hong Kong French Toast (Sai Do Si)
Thick white bread stuffed with peanut butter, dipped in egg and deep-fried until crunchy, then topped with a pat of butter and a drizzle of condensed milk, cha chaan teng style.
American Diner French Toast
Day-old challah dipped in a light vanilla batter with a little flour, browned in butter in a cast-iron skillet, and served the American way with butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Sheet-Pan Pancakes
One big buttermilk-style pancake batter spread in a sheet pan and baked at 375°F for about 20 minutes, then cut into squares so everyone eats hot pancakes at the same time.
Diner-Style Buttermilk Pancakes, Inspired by IHOP
A blender batter of buttermilk, oil and a little sugar, raised with baking soda alone, griddled into tender 5-inch pancakes in the style of the all-day pancake house. Inspired by, not official.