Crempog (Welsh Pancakes)

Name: Crempog (Welsh Pancakes)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 250 g Plain flour; 350 ml Buttermilk; 2 large Eggs; 50 g caster sugar; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 40 g Unsalted butter; 50 g salted welsh butter

Thick, fluffy Welsh buttermilk pancakes cooked on a bakestone and served warm in a tall, buttery stack.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· West Wales

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

250 g Plain flour — sifted
350 ml Buttermilk — at room temperature
2 large Eggs — beaten
50 g caster sugar — fine white sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda — for leavening
½ tsp Fine sea salt — to balance flavour
40 g Unsalted butter — melted and cooled slightly
50 g salted welsh butter — softened, for stacking and serving

Equipment

•Bakestone or heavy cast-iron frying pan
•Mixing bowl
•Whisk
•Ladle
•Fish slice or spatula

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 15 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 1.5 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
2
Whisk the buttermilk, beaten eggs, and melted unsalted butter together in a separate jug.
3
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture.
4
Whisk gently until just combined into a smooth, thick batter without overmixing.
5
Rest the batter at room temperature for 20 minutes until bubbles begin to form on top.
6
Heat a bakestone (a flat, heavy griddle pan) or frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
7
Grease the hot surface lightly with a small knob of butter.
8
Drop small ladlefuls of batter onto the bakestone, leaving room between each pancake to spread.
9
Cook for about two minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface and the underside turns golden.
10
Flip carefully with a spatula and cook the other side for one to two minutes until lightly browned.
11
Transfer the cooked pancake to a warm plate and spread generously with salted Welsh butter.
12
Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking each warm pancake on top of the last.

Chef's tips

Resting the batter is vital to let the buttermilk activate the bicarbonate of soda for a light texture. Keep the hob heat moderate so the thick batter cooks through to the centre without burning the outside.

Ingredient substitutions

buttermilk → whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, left to sour for 10 minutes
salted Welsh butter → regular salted butter with a small pinch of sea salt flakes

Storage

Store leftover crempogau in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm gently under a low grill or in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat until heated through.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cooking over excessive heat, which browns the exterior while leaving the centre raw and gooey.
•Skipping the batter resting time, resulting in dense and flat pancakes.
•Overworking the batter, which creates a tough, rubbery texture.