To most South Africans, bazaar pancakes need no explanation. No matter what your background – whether you’re Wilhelmina from Waterkloof or Fabrizio from Fresnay – you’ve been to a church-style bazaar, where, amidst scavenging the myriad handmade jewellery and homemade konfyt for a bargain, you can be sure some Oom and Tannie are slaving away behind a portable gas stove (or an electric one with an extension lead, if they’re being really fancy), churning out pancakes with liberal lashings of cinnamon sugar and lemon juice by the dozen. Most of us can’t imagine our childhoods without the occasional bazaar pancake, and by the same token, can’t imagine going through the rest of our lives without them. Well, I’ve concocted what, in my mind at least, is the perfect bazaar pancake, so never say I wasn’t thinking about you.
for the pancakes
480 g (860 ml) cake flour
20 ml baking powder
3 ml salt
4 eggs
500 ml milk
500 ml cold water
30 ml lemon juice
50 ml canola oil
for the cinnamon sugar
200 g (250 ml) sugar
15 ml ground cinnamon
for the pancakes
1. Sieve the cake flour, baking powder and salt together into a mixing bowl.
2. Beat the eggs, milk, water, lemon juice and oil in another mixing bowl until well blended.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg mixture and beat well with a balloon whisk. Make sure there are no lumps.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
5. Bring a large saucepan with water to a boil, then lower the heat until it simmers and place a large plate over it. Have a lid ready to cover the pancakes – this will keep your pancakes warm while you are making the rest.
for the cinnamon sugar
1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Heat a 24 cm non-stick crêpe pan. Ladle the batter into the pan, swivelling it until the batter covers the surface of the pan. Let it cook for about 1 minute and carefully turn the pancake over. Let it cook for another minute.
3. Place the pancake on the warm plate, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and cover with a lid. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
4. Serve the pancakes warm with fresh lemon wedges.