Waffles

by Ct Yankee

Created on: April 02, 2011

Pancakes vs waffles: Which are tastier?

Believe me, between these two batter-based butter topped breakfast biggies, the bigger bounty of better flavor favors the fractal features not of the four-stack flapjack, but topographic torture of the crispy waffle.

To understand this simple truth it only requires that we look back to the origins of the two. Pancakes and waffles as everyone knows begin as batters. A basic cake develops from: wheat flour, eggs, milk and/or water, shortening, and a little salt, baking powder and sugar are the typical ingredients for pancakes and waffles. Optional goodies like blueberries or chocolate chips are the subject of another article. These ingredients when blended create a viscous frothy and somewhat bland mixture that unlike cake batter seldom draws requests from the kids to lick the mixing bowl.

Once the basic batter is prepared the decision of how to cook the mixture can be made. To begin, the "cooking utensil" is heated to a relatively high temperature ~375 to 400F hot enough to cause a drop of water to "dance" on the surface. The temperature is crucial because it assures that the transformation of the bland batter into the delicious an subtle flavors of the well-made breakfast bonanza. By examining the cooking process in minute detail we'll gain a better understanding of the differences and similarities, and inevitability of the conclusion.

A good cake depends on critical interactions between the ingredients and how they are cooked. It is true that almost any ratio of flour, egg, and water will produce something that "looks" like a pancake or a waffle. But only when the ratios are ideal will the combination of temperature and time transform them into a delicious treat. Too wet and the product is soggy or heavy... too dry and the product is hollow or starchy.

When the batter is poured onto the surface, the area of contact between batter and steel causes a thin layer of batter it instantly dehydrate and expel steam. This causes the pattern of fine bubbles on the surface of the food. Since the batter contains egg protein the heat causes an rapid transition from liquid to solid, otherwise, even though the batter is viscous and heavy the steam would induce a rolling boil, just like in a pot of oatmeal.

The heat diffuses into the bulk of the batter causing additional reactions. The starch of the flour is hydrolyzed by the acids in the milk and baking powder into sugars and esters producing sweetness and flavor and aroma compounds. Two gasses, steam and carbon dioxide are liberated into the thick liquid causing it to expand, while the wave of heat causes the protein and starch to solidify into the light firm cake infused with the delicate esters. As the volume of gas & steam is many times greater than the volume of the batter the excess steam escapes onto the kitchen.

As the food is in contact with the metal, the last of the water is driven off then the temperature of the surface of the food rises to the temperature of the utensil. The next step called the Maillard reaction causes the surface to brown and to release from the metal instead of remaining hopelessly glued to it.

Cooking four fluid ounces of batter takes a certain and definite amount of heat. This is a law of chemistry. The heat for cooking comes from the metal of the utensil. The rate that heat can flow from a surface into something contacting it is proportional to the difference in temperature and area in contact. The batter is sensitive and must not be allowed to overheat, and the utensil must not be too hot or it will scorch the food. That leaves an area as the variable that the chef can control at will. And that is the difference between pancakes and waffles.

The simplest cooking utensil is a flat frying pan or griddle which produces the classic pancake, flapjack, griddle cake, or any of a dozen other regional designations that eliminate some of the listed ingredients or incorporate others. The pancake is cooked first on the bottom, then flipped to cook the other side. The action is simple and scales up well as observed by the late Frank Zappa in his song “Saint Alfonso's Pancake Breakfast”. This author likes to add some uncooked grits to the batter to improve the texture of the pancakes.

The waffle iron immediately doubles the area of the cooking surface by closing down and contacting top and bottom simultaneously. The waffle improves on the heat transfer by creating deep dimples in the surface. The squarish sides of each dimple increase the surface of the metal in contact with the batter by a factor of four or five. That means the body of the batter is converted from batter to cake in a fraction of the time of the pancake. The bulk of the time is spent waiting for the surface to dry and the browning to occur. That's why the waffle iron can have a sensor which indicates when the waffle is done. Recall “evaporation is a cooling process” and the surface of the waffle iron is “cooled” to 212F (100C) by the water until it is completely evaporated away as steam.

We love the smell of fresh pancakes and waffles. We recognize them cooking across the length of the house, and are drawn in by the wafting aroma. However, that aroma that filled the house was lost from the product during the time it spent cooking. By minimizing the cooking time, more aroma stays in the product and less goes into the room.

In conclusion, the greater area of browning and faster cooking, means more flavors and aromas stay in the waffle than are released to the air when compared to pancakes. Therefore waffles are tastier than pancakes. Q.E.D.

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