Description
JB’s Crêpes are delicate, thin French pancakes made from a smooth, glossy batter of flour, eggs, milk, water, and oil. After resting the batter for an hour, each crêpe is cooked briefly in a lightly buttered non-stick pan until golden and served warm, perfect for rolling or folding with sweet toppings like berries, whipped cream, or Nutella.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar (regular white sugar works too)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (55g/2oz each in shell, fridge cold is fine)
- 2 cups full fat milk (lite milk works as well)
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or other neutral flavored oil
For Cooking
- 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for cooking)
Serving Suggestions
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Berries
- Whipped cream
- Melted chocolate or Nutella
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt, then whisk to combine evenly.
- Add Eggs and Form Paste: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and whisk gently, mixing in just enough flour to create a thick paste without fully incorporating all the flour yet.
- Incorporate Milk Gradually: Slowly add the milk in increments, whisking after each addition to create a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Add Water and Oil: Whisk in the water and vegetable oil until the batter becomes glossy and pourable. The batter should coat the back of a spoon lightly — neither too thick nor too runny.
- Rest the Batter: Cover the batter and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flour to hydrate fully and the gluten to relax.
- Heat the Pan: Heat a 24cm (9.5-inch) non-stick crêpe pan over medium-high heat (or medium if your stove heats quickly). If you don’t have a crêpe pan, any good non-stick skillet will work.
- Prepare the Pan: Melt about 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter in the pan, then wipe it off with a paper towel so only a thin, light coating remains—no visible pools of butter.
- Cook the Crêpes: Using a ladle, scoop up 1/4 cup of batter. Lift the pan off the heat and pour most of the batter into the center, immediately swirling the pan so the batter covers the surface thinly and evenly. Use the remaining batter to fill any spots while still swirling.
- First Side Cooking: Return the pan to heat and cook the crêpe for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the underside is lightly golden.
- Flip and Finish Cooking: Flip using a long spatula and cook the other side for about 30 seconds until golden and set.
- Stack and Repeat: Slide the cooked crêpe onto a plate and repeat the cooking process with remaining batter, adding butter to the pan each time as needed.
- Serve: Stack crêpes as you go to keep them soft and flexible. Serve warm, rolled burrito style with ends tucked in or folded into quarters. Top with icing sugar, berries, whipped cream, melted chocolate, Nutella, or any preferred toppings.
Notes
- Note 1: The water and oil help achieve the perfect batter consistency and crêpe texture.
- Note 2: Resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate fully, resulting in tender crêpes.
- Note 3: Butter the pan lightly and wipe off excess to prevent greasy crêpes.
- Note 4: Adjust cooking time according to your stove’s heat to avoid burning.
- Note 5: Using a ladle and swirling technique ensures thin, even crêpes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: crêpes, French pancakes, thin pancakes, breakfast, sweet crêpes, JB's crêpes
