Foiled by Chemistry and Yeast, but I got Pancakes!

I was going to write about my successful attempt at yeasted gluten-free bread but I was not successful. I hadn’t been making anything in my kitchen for weeks since I have been eating raw. I had spent a good portion of a frigidly cold day out and about, and a slice of warm buttered bread sounded like the perfect antidote even if I had to wait 4 hours to bite into it. The yeast didn’t rise, an addition of baking powder didn’t coax the dough to rise, and an oversized, undercooked dumpling emerged from the oven. And, that didn’t prevent me from taking a bite. I could only stomach one. So when the outside temperature rises above freezing and I have a little more time, and the apartment temperature rises above 58 degrees, I will try again.

The next morning I wanted pancakes. I wasn’t interested in leaving the house to enjoy Saturday breakfast alone or to walk to the grocery store to purchase berries and syrup. I whipped up a few gluten-free pancakes at home. I didn’t have any milk so I heated up water with a few cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick and a slice of dried orange. I could enjoy a flavorful pancake without soymilk!

Saturday Morning Pancakes
makes 5 or 6

1 egg
1 Tbs oil
1 cup liquid

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

For flour, I used 1/3 cup each sorghum, oats, and hazelnut. You can use any that you want rice, quinoa and almond; millet, coconut and tapioca – you choose.
Combine wet and dry separately, then incorporate. Spoon ¼ to 1/3 cup of batter into greased and heated pan. Let first side bubble, then flip.
I’ve added homemade granola to the pancakes just before the flip. It’s good stuff.

I bake up large batches of granola, so feel free to cut this recipe down. This is sort of my tried and true, oldest recipe. More recently I have added chunky almond butter and ground flax meal. Most of the goodies for this one you add after the oats have cooled.

Granola
2 cups mixed dried berries and fruit
1 cup raw or toasted chopped almonds
1 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 T each cinnamon and nutmeg
1 cup agave
½ cup oil
5 cups oats

Measure oats into large mixing bowl. Combine oil and agave and spices and mix thoroughly with oats. If oats don’t seem completely coated, you can add more agave and oil or sometimes I add a little apple cider.
Spoon and evenly spread coated oats into baking sheets with edged sides. Don’t overload each sheet. You will be mixing oats on the sheets during baking; the sides/lip prevents spillage. A moderate amount on each sheet will allow for even heating. Bake at 350 for 30 to 50 min. Every 5 minutes or so, mix to prevent burning. Remove from oven. Let cool, add all other ingredients and store in sealed container.