Racuchy are Polish pancakes, but better. The main difference is that they are made with yeast rather than baking powder and therefore are lighter, airer, and healthier.
Use yeast rather than baking powder when making Racuchy,
the Polish pancakes
Personally, I discovered that whenever I eat baking powder I get acid reflux. Also, most commercial baking powders contain aluminum which some claim leads to Alzheimers disease. So, I generally avoid baking powder and prefer to use yeast whenever possible, or use organic baking powder without aluminum when I need to.
Racuchy are wonderful for those lazy Sunday mornings
The challenge with yeast is that it requires time to proof. And for this recipe, you’ll need about 50 minutes to an hour just for proofing. So, it’s a good recipe for a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast.
Add apples to your Racuchy to make the crisp and flavorfulÂ
In any case, Racuchy were one of my favorite snacks when growing up. Especially the ones with slices of apples baked into them. My grandmother would also serve them with some powdered sugar and sour cream on top. The combination was divine.
Today I make them with bananas, blueberries, or strawberries as well. And they also taste delicious with honey or maple syrup.
For this recipe I use wheat flour from Poland type 550 or “Luksusowa” since it’s the best flour to use for yeast-based baking. It has a minimum of 25% gluten, which is necessary to give the dough it’s elasticity. It’s also high in protein, 11-12 grams of protein per 100 grams, as opposed to 3 grams of protein typically found in U.S. Enriched Flours.
Follow my recipe below on how to make your own Polish Pancakes (Racuchy) at home!
Racuchy - Polish Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups flour
- 2 cups 2% or higher milk
- 3 whole eggs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 packet yeast or 25 grams of fresh yeast
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon or orange zest
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of sunflower seed oil for frying
Instructions
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Pour milk, add eggs and sugar into a medium saucepan. Whisk it all together and over low to medium heat warm it until lukewarm. make sure the mixture does not burn your finger when you test it.
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Add yeast to the mixture (I prefer to use fresh yeast, but dry fast active yeast is fine too). Mix it using a whisk until combined. Let the mixture rest for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is activated.
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In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and combine it with salt, vanilla, orange or lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix it with a spoon.
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Add the activated-yeast mixture and gently combine it using a hand mixer to eliminate any clumps.
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Once combined, place the mixture in a warm place to stand for 30-40 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.
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Once the dough has doubled in size you're ready to fry your Racuchy.
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Pour a table spoon or two of sunflower seed oil onto a non-stick frying pan. Warm it on a medium heat. And, using a small ladle, scoop and place some of the batter onto the hot surface. Reduce the heat to low.
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The batter is very delicate and burns fast, so fry your pancakes on low heat. You might also need to add some more oil as it gets absorbed during frying.
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Place them onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Enjoy your "Racuchy" with some powdered sugar, maple syrup, or honey.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks so tasty Ola!
Melinda
Thanks! 🙂
Ciao! Questa ricetta è fantastica! L’ho preparato per l’ultimo fine
settimana e mia moglie era felice.
Grazie! Sono contenta che avete provato la mia ricetta. Racuchy mi piacciono moltissimo, particolarmente per la colazione. 🙂
So happy to have found this recipe and can’t wait to taste the result. My Grandmother used to make these pancakes often and especially when our dark sweet cherries came into season. She would halve the and pit the cherries and fry the pancakes with several of them in each one. Of course they would be dusted with powdered sugar for a really yummy dessert or afternoon snack. Thanks so much for bringing back one of my favorite memories of childhood.
Thank you Laurel for your note! I’m very happy that this recipe brought you pleasant memories. I also get nostalgic when I make these pancakes and I feel like a kid again.
Happy Baking,
Ola