Mary Berry's Unexpected Secret Ingredient For The Best Pancakes

Pancake Day is the best holiday of the year, full stop. The instructions are as clear as they are delicious; you must make pancakes, eat them, and then do that again.

Still, it’s amazing how many people (myself included) manage to mess those orders up ― so, who better to turn to in our hour of need than Codon Bleu-trained chef and legendary TV presenter, Mary Berry?

The former Great British Bake-Off host shared her secret to deliciously decadent pancakes, and it’s as simple as grabbing an extra egg yolk. 

Her recipe, shared with The Telegraph, makes 12 perfect pancakes and takes 40 minutes ― and having tried it myself, I can guarantee they’re worth making. 

Why should I add an extra yolk to my pancake batter?

Mary Berry uses one egg and one egg yolk rather than two eggs. 

This makes the batter richer and tastier as the yolk offers tasty, rich fats and contains an emulsifying factor called lecithin. 

Lecithin helps to hold water and fat together, meaning the batter can hold extra liquid (like milk) and sugar ― so it’s moister, more tender, richer, and even sweeter than batter made with fewer yolks. 

She’s famous for a reason, right?

What’s the recipe?

Mary Berry’s simple recipe calls for just three ingredients ― egg, milk, and flour, along with a little oil. 

It requires 125g of plain flour, one egg and one yolk, 300ml of milk, and a dash of oil for cooking. 

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Then, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and a little of the milk in a separate bowl. 

Add this mixture into the well and start combining the flour with the wet ingredients bit by bit, and then gradually whisk in half of the milk, drawing more and more flour into the centre as you go along. 

Once you’ve made this into a smooth batter, stir in the rest of the milk. Then, heat a frying pan and brush a little oil onto it. 

Add two to three tablespoons of the pancake mix to the pan and tilt it so the batter distributes all over the base of the pan. 

Cook on medium to high heat for 45 to 60 seconds, or until small holes appear on the top, the base browns a little, and the edges start to curl. Then, toss or flip the pancake with a palette knife. 

Cook the other side for about 30 seconds, then eat immediately or stack and reheat ― Mary Berry advises that if you stack the pancakes straight from the pan while they’re hot, they won’t stick together. 

Bon appetit!