Pannukakku-Finnish oven pancake

Pannukakku, also called kropsu. A simple pancake baked in the oven. This authentic pannukakku is a family favorite to be enjoyed as a dessert or snack.

Background

This pancake is something my mother used to make when I was little. This was such a favorite to serve for guests and grandkids. My favorite moment in the baking was when it got big "titties" in the oven. I used to stare at the oven and watch the bubbles rise. The funniest part was to break them with a knife.

This pancake has all the best parts of the different types of Finnish pancakes. It is a bit thinner than a regular sheet pancake, but of course, also the dimensions of your baking tray affect the size.

This has a wonderful taste of slightly browned butter. The butter also makes it a bit crispy on the edges since the butter is melted first in the oven. The batter has some cardamom to give extra flavor and I also love to add some vanilla sugar for a sweet pancake.

FUN FACT: My mum used to mix in all sorts of leftovers in the batter. Porridge, potatoes, mash, and even spaghetti. Nothing was thrown away or wasted on a tight budget.

Different types of Finnish oven pancakes

• Regular Finnish pancake is often baked in an oven baking tray on baking paper, it is a bit thicker.
• Kropsu. This is a speciality for ostrobothnia. It is baked in a cast iron skillet in oven. This can also be made in barley flour. Kropsu can also be savory with mixed crispy pork cubes.
• Perunakropsu. This is a potatopancake. Potato is added in the batter in form of mashed potatoes.
• Riivattu/riiviröpö. In this version grated potatoes are added to the batter.
• Ahvenanmaan pannukakku. Åland island pancake. This is made with semolina porridge and cardamom.

Other Finnish pancakes

These are made with a frying pan:

• Normal Finnish pancakes
• Carrot pancakes
• Spinach pancakes

There is also Muurikka lettu. This is a big thin pancake made in a special big muurikka pan. These large crepe-like pancakes are fried outdoors and the batter often has a bit of barley flour added. They are fried to dark and crispy and served with strawberry jam and whipped cream. (Recipe)

Ingredients and replacements for oven pancake

• Milk. Whole milk gives best flavor.
• Eggs.
• All-purpose flour 
• Salt
• Sugar. Can be replaced with sweetener.
• Ground cardamom (from green pods). Can be left out from the recipe.
• Butter. Can be replaced with heat tolerant margarine.

Special diets

For a milk-free oven pancake use any plant milk. For example, soy milk works great. Also, replace the butter with margarine.

To make a gluten-free sheet pancake replace the regular wheat flour with a gluten-free flour mix. This is an easy recipe to make gluten-free since it does not need any viscosity in the batter.

Variations

Pannukakku can even be eaten as a savory dish. If you want to make a savory oven pancake then leave the cardamom away from the recipe and reduce the sugar amount to 2-3 teaspoons.

To make a savory pancake you can add some of these in the batter before baking:

• Ham and bell pepper cubes.
• Smoked salmon and dill. (+onion)
• Small fried bacon bites.
• Boiled potatoes in small cubes/grated , capers and feta cheese.

To a sweet pancake batter, you can mix some apple bites or berries.

How to make the sheet pancake

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add in the milk and eggs and give it a whisk. It is ok also to do in a reverse order.
3. Let your batter rest for at least 30 minutes. The clumps will even out when the flour swells. You can even make your batter ahead of time. For example in the evening and let it rest in the fridge.
4. Warm your oven to 400 F (200 C)
5. Melt the butter on the sheet pan in the oven. Take out the pan and give it a swirl so the butter spreads out evenly.
6. Whisk your batter and pour it on the hot pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until nicely browned.
7. Bubbles will form on the pannukakku while baking. You can break them while baking, so you get a more even color. This depends though on the oven and amount of eggs.
8. Let your pancake cool for a while before slicing.

In this picture, you see a typical sheet pan that comes with all Finnish ovens. This is 30x35cm. (12x14 inches) I adjusted the recipe to match the American half-sheet pan. If you need to alter your measurement remember the ratio of 2:1 to liquid and flour. The number of eggs can be varied.

What to serve with

• Strawberry jam
• Raspberry jam
• Apple puree
• Whipped cream
• Ice cream
• Thick vanilla custard
• Fresh berries