Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Pancakes

How to get a perfect rise on homemade bread in a cold house - heating pad on low!

I've been having fun making a loaf or two of homemade wild yeast bread each weekend (my husband packs a sandwich lunch to work every day.)  Made with 100% whole wheat, no oil (salt optional) or sugar - it's about as healthy as it gets.

But I REALLY like my  Sunday pancakes.  But pancakes made with the 100% whole wheat flour were just too thick for my personal liking.  I like my pancakes to be light and fluffy.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Pancakes

So I read about using whole wheat PASTRY flour instead.  Ground finer, it lends a texture similar to white flour without the grainier texture. Even better, it contains all of the  wonderful oil from the wheat germ, fiber from the wheat bran and protein from the inner endosperm - nothing is added or removed so it's much healthier than bleached white flour. I make my pancakes with kefir - a fermented yogurt drink loaded with probiotics (I can't digest regular milk at all) which makes them really light, moist, and fluffy.

I replaced 2/3 of the flour in my regular recipe with whole wheat pastry flour and the results were VERY good.  You might have to go to a larger store or health food store (or order online) to find, but I love the Bob's Red Mill products, especially this one.

Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes

In one bowl mix:

1/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder (check your date - near expiration powder makes for flat pancakes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In another bowl mix:

1 cup nonfat kefir
1 egg  (try and have milk and egg at room temperature for best results)
Whisk egg and kefir, then, in a very thin and slow stream, whisk in
2 Tablespoons butter (melted)

Mix wet and dry, just until combined then cook on an oiled griddle on medium heat.  (note:  I've made this basic recipe with non dairy milk which I've soured with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon, egg substitute and vegan butter for a vegan friend and they were still really good.)