Baked Pancake For A Crowd

I love baked pancakes.  I adore baked pancakes!  Some people call them Dutch Babies, some people call them Puffy Oven Pancakes, and I’m sure there’s a myriad of other names for them as well. You name it, I love it.    The problem with baked pancakes is that they don’t really feed a family of four.  I have recipes that bake them up in a pie plate, and if I bake three of them, then maybe everyone walks away happy, but usually even that isn’t enough.  I tried a recipe not to long ago in a 9×13 pan, and while tasty, we cleaned the pan.

This recipe though, this is your winner.  This makes a fantastic oven-baked pancake.  It’s got an amazing texture- it’s almost like a dense custard- or maybe a cross between eggs and custard.   In the middle of the pan it’s almost a full inch thick- so it’s substantial, and one pan was more than enough for my family.  Finally!  This would be spectacular for a brunch- it bakes up so the pancake is kind of like a shell- simply begging to be filled with fruit.  So I did that too.  I quickly sauteed some apples in butter and brown sugar and we had a decadent breakfast-for-dinner night of Baked Pancakes.

Baked Pancake For A Crowd

• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons butter.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar, salt and flour.  Mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500ºF.

Put the butter into a 9×13 baking dish and set in the oven until melted.  Once melted, use a pastry brush to brush it over the bottom and up the sides of the dish.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and put into the hot oven.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the middle is set and the edges are golden brown and puffy.

Serve with maple syrup or your choice of fruit filling.  Cut into 12 portions.

Serves 6 hearty appetites, or 12 smaller appetites.