URGENT CREPE Help
Hello, my name is Eric and i currently own a dessert shop on the east coast of U.S
we are about to open up crepe section of the menu and i am in need of big help. I should not have underestimated the art of crepes. In my mind, it was a medium level street food that i needed to do a good job of copying; however, even after 2months of practicing and finding the recipe, i am struggling.
The main problem for me was the spreading technique... because we have a legit crepe maker (16inches), we cannot twirl it around like home pans or griddles. I also want customers to enjoy the spreading of the crepe because it is always pleasant to watch someone make a perfect crepe. I found out that my technique was only improving to a certain point not because im so terrible at it (maybe i am) but more because the consistency of the batter is not what it is supposed to be.
i copied alot of recipes from online and they are just so watery and runny, and whenever i spread them, they just run off the griddle and hard to spread. From watching many many youtube videos online, i could see that the batter they were using was more thick and easier to work with. when they move the crepe spreader in circles, it seems as if the dough is following the end of the spreader every turn.
So i tried making a thicker dough, and now it is just too thick and too doughy (flour taste is too strong). I tried the medium between the two and it is still not working out well.
Can anyone with strong experience recommend me a good recipe for good crepe and tips on techniques perhaps? in terms of even things like griddle temperature (we have electric) and spreading techniques?
Thank you so much for reading!
Important is the method used to mix up the crepe batter. It should have some run to it and it will vary with flours, one of the reasons I first test a flour by making a crepe.
Don't add all the liquid at once but start with thick batter and beat smooth while adding more liquid.
Let your dough rest and hydrate before using or testing. This can also vary with the flour but a minimum of 15 minutes will save you a lot of headache. Go for 30 minutes. Stir often and sieve if needed to remove lumps. Break lumps smooth and return to batter. Stir often while using to keep flour suspended.
After the first crepe, more water/milk can be added if the crepe is too tough. Add small amounts at a time with flour to thicken. Mix first into a bit of batter, sieve and add to whole batter.
Water makes a tougher, crisper edge and crepe.
Milk makes a softer crepe.
hello, I'm Russian and we have crepes - called blini in our blood... Well look for Russian blini recipe or copy/paste "блины рецепт" if you're not afraid of watching some Russian yt videos. If you need further help coming up with your own particular recipe for your own particular situation, I can try to eyeball some of them for you or to translate. I just don't really know which will work best for you. People make them in a lot of different ways. Russians like a thin crepe, but one that holds up well for fillings and adjust recipes for sweetness depending on their fillings. Some use farmer's cheese with raisins and sugar, farmer's cheese with herbs, meats, vegetables, potatoes, eggs, anything you can think of!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8iRcAGw1zw
note spreader rests on setting batter and is lightly dragged around. Practice without dough first. Try dragging around a pile of flour or sugar on a tray or plate for practice.
I think what Mini said is absolutely correct, but also I think that the batter should be chilled overnight .