Dorayaki — Japanese Pancakes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Japanese dorayaki pancakes? Gather your ingredients. Take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, or set them in warm water for a few minutes — the pancakes will come out fluffier. Liquid honey works best; if yours is thick or crystallized, melt it first in the microwave or over a water bath. For the filling I used dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk).

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the eggs well and crack them into a bowl. Always wash eggs before using them — even a shell that looks clean can carry harmful bacteria; a food-safe wash and a brush work best. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk everything together. Add the honey and whisk the egg mixture well again.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour in the room-temperature water and stir.

4. Step 4:

   

   Sift the flour and baking powder together — this not only catches any stray bits but also aerates the flour, which makes the pancakes even fluffier.

5. Step 5:

   

   Stir in the flour until smooth. Be ready to use a little more or less flour than the recipe calls for — go by the consistency of the batter, not the exact amount. It should be like thick but still pourable sour cream.

6. Step 6:

   

   Heat a skillet over high heat, ideally nonstick. Grease it with a drop of neutral vegetable oil. You only need the oil before the first pancake — no need to grease again after that. Gently spoon out the batter into a round pancake. Dorayaki can be any size, but they're most often made small.

7. Step 7:

   

   Turn the heat down to medium. Cook the pancake until golden on one side, then flip it. It's actually easier to cook several at once, which is what I ended up doing.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pair up the finished pancakes, spreading dulce de leche between them. Traditionally the filling is sweet red bean paste, but chocolate spread, jam, or plain condensed milk work too.

9. Step 9:

   

   Serve the dorayaki. Enjoy!