Gluten-free Pancakes

I've been making gluten-free pancakes for two years now, and, each time the recipe varies slightly. The recipe I always modify is from an old Betty Crocker cookbook; the alterations are replacing wheat flour with a gluten-free flour mix and adding xantham gum.

The variation in each batch is in the amount of xanthm gum—I used to use 1/4 tsp but now I always use 1/2 tsp—or the blend of gluten-free flours. I have used almond meal, brown rice flour, white rice flour, gram (chickpea) flour and glutinous, though gluten-free, rice flour. M* and I have enjoyed each batch, except the ones where I mistakenly used a tbsp of salt instead of sugar or three tbsps of baking powder instead of three tsps or 3/4 pint of milk instead of 3/4 cup of milk, but certain ones have more closely resembled wheat flour pancakes. Unfortunately, I never bothered to note the amounts of each flour in those standout batches.

This past Sunday, I made two batches: one horrible (the 1 tbsp salt batch) and one fantastic. The key to the wheat flour mimicing pancakes was the use of some glutenous rice flour; I had never used it before, but picked some up recently in a Korean grocer. Gluten has binding properties that one approximates by adding xantham gum, but this rice increases the sticky factor.

The recipe—with my best estimate of the flour amounts—is below. What I discovered a few days later is that increasing the glutenous rice flour to 1/2 cup or more is not recommended. Thursday, I only had a few tablespoons of brown rice flour left, so I switched the amounts of brown rice and glutenous rice flour. The pancakes were fine, but not as light as the ones resulting from the recipe below.

Gluten-free Pancakes
1/2 cup plus two tbsps brown rice flour (finely ground)
1/4 cup glutinous rice flour
2 tbsps almond meal
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Whisk dry ingredients, except baking powder, in medium size bowl until well blended. Add baking powder. Blend milk, egg and oil in small bowl, and then add to dry ingredients. Gently stir ingredients with spoon or spatula just until ingredients are blended.

Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes. If you have an electric stove-top, like we do unfortunatly, this is a good time to heat the burner to medium. Make sure the pan or griddle is hot before adding batter. We use a non-stick pan, but I still lightly coat it with cooking spray before the first batch. Pancakes should cook quickly—a few minutes per side—so stay close. Enjoy with your favorite syrup.