Crêpes — Thin French Pancakes
Thin, lacy French pancakes that bend to any filling — sugar and lemon, Nutella, jam, or ham and cheese for the savoury galette. The batter takes five minutes and one bowl; the only secret is letting it rest so the crêpes turn out tender and supple rather than rubbery.
Whisk flour, eggs, milk, a pinch of salt, melted butter and (for sweet crêpes) a little sugar into a smooth, thin batter — about the consistency of single cream. Rest it at least an hour. Heat a lightly buttered pan, pour in a thin ladle, swirl to coat, and cook about a minute until the edges lift, then flip for 20 seconds. Stack and fill.
- Rest the batter at least an hour (or overnight) so the flour hydrates and the crêpes turn out tender.
- The batter should be thin — like single cream; thin with a splash of milk if it's too thick.
- Use a hot, lightly greased non-stick or crêpe pan and a thin layer of batter for lacy, delicate crêpes.
Equipment
- Whisk or blender
- Mixing bowl
- Non-stick or crêpe pan
- Ladle
Ингредиенты
Batter
- 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 4 eggs
- 500 ml milk
- 60 g butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 25 g sugar, for sweet crêpes; omit for savoury
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla or 1 tbsp rum, optional
Classic fillings
- Sugar and lemon juice
- Jam, honey or chocolate-hazelnut spread
- Salted butter caramel
- Ham, cheese and egg, for savoury
Приготовление
- ШАГ01
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, make a well, and whisk in the eggs and a little of the milk to a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk and the melted butter until smooth and lump-free. (A blender does this in seconds.)
- ШАГ02
Cover and rest the batter at least 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. This relaxes the gluten and hydrates the flour for tender crêpes. Stir before using and thin with a little milk if needed.
- ШАГ03
Heat a non-stick or crêpe pan over medium-high and wipe with a little butter. The pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles.
- ШАГ04
Pour in a thin ladle of batter and immediately swirl the pan to coat in a thin, even layer. Cook about 1 minute until the edges lift and the underside is golden, then flip and cook 15–20 seconds more.
- ШАГ05
Slide onto a plate and stack as you go (they stay soft). Fill while warm — sprinkle with sugar and a squeeze of lemon, spread with jam or chocolate, and fold into quarters or roll up.
Make ahead
Both batter and cooked crêpes keep well. Make a stack ahead for a crowd and reheat, or refrigerate the batter overnight — resting only improves it.
Storage
Cooked crêpes keep 3 days refrigerated, stacked with parchment between them, or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat briefly in a warm pan or microwave. Batter keeps 2 days refrigerated.
Variations
Galette (savoury)
Use buckwheat flour and water, no sugar, for a Breton galette; fill with ham, grated cheese and an egg cooked in the centre.
Crêpes Suzette
Fold in an orange-butter sauce and flambé with Grand Marnier for the classic restaurant dessert.
Dairy-free
Use a plant milk and oil in place of butter — the crêpes are still tender thanks to the eggs.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Частые вопросы
Why do I need to rest crêpe batter?
Resting lets the flour fully hydrate and relaxes the gluten developed during mixing. The result is a smoother batter and noticeably more tender, supple crêpes that don't turn rubbery. An hour is good; overnight is even better.
My first crêpe always fails — why?
That's normal — the first crêpe seasons the pan and tells you if the heat and batter consistency are right. Adjust the temperature and thin the batter if needed; the rest will be perfect.
What's the difference between crêpes and pancakes?
Crêpes are thin and unleavened (no raising agent), so they're lacy and flexible. American-style pancakes use baking powder for a thick, fluffy result. Crêpe batter is much thinner and pourable.
How thin should the batter be?
About the consistency of single cream — thin enough to swirl into a delicate layer that coats the pan. If it's too thick the crêpes are heavy; thin with a splash of milk. If too thin they tear; whisk in a spoon of flour.
Sweet or savoury — same batter?
Nearly. For savoury crêpes, omit the sugar (and vanilla) from this batter, or go traditional with a buckwheat galette batter of buckwheat flour, water and salt.
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