Recipe video above. Ricotta pancakes are a step up from plain ones because they are extra soft and fluffy inside. Made famous by Australia's very own Bill Granger, a signature dish at his popular bistro Bills.Stove control is key, because these are thicker than standard pancakes. Heat too low, and the pancakes will be raw batter inside or won't rise enough. Too high, and the pancakes will burn before the inside is cooked. Aim for 3 minutes and golden brown surfaces. It's fine to go over (they will still be moist inside) but if you go under 2 1/2 minutes, they will be raw inside.9 - 10 pancakes (about 13cm/5" in diameter).
Whisk wet - Place the Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. You should have little ricotta curd bits in it, but you don't want giant ricotta clumps.
Add dry - Scatter the Dry ingredients across the surface then whisk until combined. The batter is a little thicker than standard pancake batter.
Lightly butter pan - Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until hot (I use 2 pans). Brush lightly with melted butter (or melt a bit then wipe off excess with paper towels - Note 4).
Batter - Pour in 1/4 cup batter - it should just about spread evenly into a round but may need a bit of coaxing. (I use an ice cream scoop - Note 5)
Cook 3 minutes - Cook the first side for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown (turn heat down if browning too fast). Flip then cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove onto a plate.
Cook remaining - If your non-stick coating is good, you won't need more butter though a very light brush of melted butter every 2nd or 3rd pancake won't hurt. Continue cooking, lowering the heat as you go as the pan gets hotter. You should get 9 to 10 in total. Keep cooked pancakes stacked so they keep each other warm (or use a low 50C/125F oven).
Serve ricotta pancakes with macerated strawberries (below), softened butter and copious amounts of maple syrup!
Macerated strawberries (optional)
Toss together strawberries and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow them to sweat and soften slightly. (Even overnight in fridge is fine.) Serve on pancakes!
Notes
1. Ricotta - Do not use whipped or creamed ricotta, they are too wet. Use standard ricotta. My favourite brand from grocery stores in Paesanella (sold in tubs). Type "ricotta" in the search bar for all the other recipes that you can use leftovers for!2. Vinegar and other acidic things kick starts the rising effect of baking soda. 3. Baking soda (bi-carb) and baking powder both make cakes etc rise but have different rising characteristics, with the main difference being that baking soda is more powerful. I found ricotta pancakes benefit from a bit of extra rise boost from baking soda because the batter is a little more dense.4. Golden brown pancakes! The step either lightly brush the pan with melted butter or to melt then wipe off most of the butter is the secret to ensuring that the first pancake comes out beautifully evenly gold all over, rather than splotchy! Not an essential step, but I like to do this. It applies to normal pancakes too. Also means less butter required for cooking (which means you can put more ON your pancakes!)Also, too much butter in the pan = burnt butter. So don't go crazy with butter in your pan, save it for serving!5. Ice cream scoop - Handy for dolloping pancake batter (as well as muffins, fritters, meatballs!). A 1/4 cup / 60 ml scoop is a great standard size to have.6. Flipping/cooking - The key is to ensure each pancake cooks for at least 3 minutes to ensure they are cooked inside. Even up to 5 minutes is fine (it won't dry out thanks to the ricotta), but 3 minutes is the sweet spot!Because the batter is thicker than ordinary pancakes, you won't get as many bubbles on the surface to indicate it is ready to flip. If you see the start of a few (but not yet bursting), that's all that's needed to indicate that it's cooked inside. Or lift the edge to check the underside.7. Leftovers will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. They reheat better than normal pancakes (which go quite stale the next day) because they are more moist.Recipe credit - This recipe is based on Bill Granger's famous ricotta pancakes served at his bistros. However, I found it a bit tricky to ensure the pancakes cook through properly without burning and the outcome is also rather sensitive to the creaminess of the ricotta which varies from brand to brand. So I tweaked to make the recipe "safer" by altering the batter slightly (details in post). :)Nutrition per pancake, assuming 10 pancakes, toppings excluded.