German (Dutch Baby) Pancakes
Bonus Recipes

German (Dutch Baby) Pancakes

1 hr
Serves 8
breakfastGermanpancake

Granny Smith apples sugared overnight and sautéed in butter, layered into a screaming-hot cast iron skillet with a blender batter of eggs, flour, milk, and vanilla, then baked at 425°F until puffed and golden — dusted with powdered sugar and served with maple syrup.

The Story

German pancakes — Dutch baby, puffed pancake, call it what you want — are one of those dishes that looks far more impressive than the effort required. The batter is five ingredients in a blender. The drama comes from the cast iron and the oven. The apple prep is the only thing that takes real time, and most of that is hands-off: peel, slice, and dice two Granny Smith apples into thin half-inch pieces, coat with sugar, and let them sit overnight. The sugar draws out the moisture and starts to break down the apple slightly, which means they'll sauté faster and caramelize better. The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F with the cast iron skillet already inside — the skillet needs to be fully preheated before the batter goes in, which is what causes the dramatic puff. While the oven heats, drain the liquid from the apples and sauté them in a regular skillet with butter until tender. Set aside. Blend the eggs, flour, milk, vanilla extract, and salt until completely smooth. When the oven hits 425°F, pull the cast iron out, add three tablespoons of butter and spread it across the bottom, add the sautéed apples, then pour the batter straight in. Back into the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The edges will climb the sides of the skillet and the center will puff up dramatically. Pull it out, dust with sifted powdered sugar, let it cool for five minutes, then slice and serve as is or with maple syrup.

Equipment

  • 12" cast iron skillet
  • Regular skillet (for sautéing apples)
  • Blender
  • Oven @ 425°F

Ingredients

  • 2Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced, and diced into thin 1/2" pieces
  • 2–3 Tbspsugar (for apples)
  • 6eggs
  • 1 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 cupmilk
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • 1 dashsalt
  • 2 Tbspbutter (for sautéing apples)
  • 3 Tbspbutter (for cast iron skillet)
  • 2 Tbsppowdered sugar, sifted (for serving)

Pudgy's Notes

The overnight apple prep is worth doing — the sugar draws out the moisture so the apples don't release liquid into the batter when they bake, and they caramelize faster in the skillet. Granny Smith holds its shape and provides tartness that balances the sweet batter; a softer apple will turn to mush. The cast iron must be fully preheated in the oven before the batter goes in — this is what causes the dramatic puff. A cold or room-temperature skillet will produce a flat pancake. Work quickly when you pull the skillet out: butter, apples, batter, back in the oven. The longer the skillet sits out, the less puff you'll get. The pancake will deflate slightly as it cools — that's normal. Sifted powdered sugar is the traditional finish; don't skip the sifting or it clumps. Maple syrup is optional but good. This also works without the apples if you want a plain Dutch baby — same batter, same technique, skip the apple steps.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Peel, slice, and dice the Granny Smith apples into thin 1/2" pieces. Coat with sugar and let sit overnight — the sugar draws out moisture and helps the apples caramelize. About 5 minutes active.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 425°F with the 12" cast iron skillet inside. Allow at least 20 minutes for both the oven and skillet to fully preheat.

  3. 3

    Combine eggs, flour, milk, vanilla extract, and salt in the blender. Blend until completely smooth. About 2 minutes.

  4. 4

    Drain the liquid from the sugared apples. Sauté the apples in a regular skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until tender. Set aside. About 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    When the oven reaches 425°F, carefully pull out the cast iron skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and spread evenly across the bottom. Add the sautéed apples. Pour the batter directly into the skillet. About 1 minute.

  6. 6

    Return the cast iron skillet to the oven immediately. Bake for 18–20 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and the center is set. Check the bottom doesn't burn.

  7. 7

    Remove from the oven. Dust the top with sifted powdered sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve as is or with maple syrup. About 6 minutes.

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