Can a crepe be too thin?
Ann says
It is possible that I have become a little obsessed. I try, really, to just make them normally with some toughness to them, some ability to hold up. But in the end I fail. I must make them thinner, thinner, every time. More and more delicate. I realized, this morning while making a batch of crepes for breakfast, that my crepes should really be eaten alone. No jam, no creme, not even Nutella. Their flavor should be untouched by accoutrements. It was also during these few minutes of self-flattery that I realized that I had become insane. No Nutella? Truly I must have lost some screws. (Abe says, truly indeed; not butter nor sugar either!)
So in this sad and pathetic state of self awareness I finished making my crepes. Whilst eating them with my parents I watched as they struggled to add their jams and creams and Nutella without tearing their crepes. But then, my mom declared, “Oh Ann, these crepes are so thin. They are really delicious!” My worries were dispelled. I had not gone too far. Not yet. Next time they will be thinner yet! The main ingredient will be milk, and I’ll use cake flour, or maybe just cornstarch. The crepe itself will be one flour grain thick and completely see through. They will be eaten immediately as they are made. Folks will line up for miles to taste the thinnest, most delicate crepe known to man!
YES!
Or I guess maybe not. In actuality I think I’ve hit a plateau for how thin I want my crepe. I don’t use a recipe, as is my norm, but instead I use a series of steps that gives me a very uniform product from time to time that I make them. If you follow these steps you will probably get it wrong the first time, but that is OK. Try it again a couple more times and you have it. Or, you can use the recipe that got me started, which I will post below… All I know is, my recipe uses a lot more egg, and I like it that way.
Ann’s Crepe Producing Method
1. Take as many eggs as you have people and crack them into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Per egg you might use about 1/8 cup of flour….but start with a bit less in a separate bowl. Add somewhere between a pinch and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder total, not per person, to the flour along with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk that and slowly whisk the flour into the eggs. It will make a smooth paste. If there are lumps add more flour, about a tablespoon at a time, and whisk vigorously until it is smooth. If you accidentally add too much flour, start adding a little milk.
3. Add the milk. At this point I have truly no idea how much milk I put in there. As my grandma says, “you know, enough!” What I do know is that it’s a lot, and the batter is VERY fluid. It should easily spread all over the place, or at least look as though it might. Like, if you spilled it, it would run as though you had actually spilled milk with a little flour mixed in. If you know the consistency of kefir then that is the right consistency. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and come back to it. If it’s thicker, add about a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out.
4. Heat a medium non-stick pan to medium high. With a paper towel smear a small amount of butter evenly over the pan. You will do this before you cook each crepe. Using a little less than 1/4 cup of batter for a medium pan about 8 inches in diameter dump the batter in with your dominant hand and with your other hand swirl the pan around to coat the pan with batter. Do this off the stove. It takes some practice. It should cook for about a minute or less. Flip and allow to brown for maybe 20 seconds to 2 whole minutes, depending on the current temperature of your pan. I like to turn it all the way to low between crepes so the butter doesn’t burn.
5. I keep a plate to the side of the pan for depositing the crepe. Once you get used to it it goes pretty fast and you’ll have a big pile of delicious crepes in no time.
Starting with the pan in the air at a tilt
Turn the pan around in with your wrist to spread out the batter
Abe says
I have no idea what just happened in that recipe. But hey! The crêpes are delicious! I am all for them.
America’s Test Kitchen Recipe
Yields 20 (7-inch) crepes
If you want to use a ten inch pan use a full 1/4 cup of batter
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons water
3 Tbsp melted butter plus extra for the pan
1/2 tsp salt
1. In a blender or food processor blend all the ingredients together until smooth. About 4-10 seconds. Allow to rest for an hour.
2. Heat the skillet to medium high for about 2 minutes to get it truly hot. Smear with a bit of butter. Using a 1/4 cup measure filled 3/4 for an 8 inch skillet and all the way for a 10 inch skillet pour the batter into the pan tilted to the side a bit and swirl to coat. Return to heat for 30-60 seconds, or until golden brown. Flip the crepe and cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Stack the crepes on a plate.
This recipe just replaced the one I learned from my mother 10+ years ago. I never imagined such thin, airy crepes could emerge from my own humble pan! Thanks for sharing! Cherche la femme!
(I used cake flour and powdered sugar, fwiw, and that seemed to work out pretty well)
Wow! I guess I will actually have to try the cake flour thing. I had no idea people actually do that. Cool!
Moms are so often the best sources of food wisdom.
Out of interest, why do you use baking powder? This would surely make the crepe thicker because it will cause it to rise when cooked….
My recipe is similar, minus the baking powder, and I also add some melted butter (a small amount) to the batter. I find this makes the crepe slightly crispier and thinner.
PS. I, too am completely obsessed with producing the thinnest pancakes ever. Starting to worry me actually….
yeah the baking powder seems weird, and it isn’t exactly necessary but…
since the batter is sooo thin and there is so little baking powder it doesn’t really cause the crepes to rise in the pan. Instead, the little air bubbles result in a more delicate crepe. I like the texture of a really delicate crepe. If you like yours to be a little more sturdy, like I do when I’m adding fillings in the pan to fold up, omit the baking powder.
Also, thanks for reading!