Freshly Milled Oven Pancake with Caramelized Apples
A cozy and nourishing one pan breakfast recipe
One of my favorite places to visit growing up was Butte Creek Mill in Eagle Point, Oregon. It’s just a thirty minute drive from my childhood home and being that it is one of the only water powered grist mills left standing on the West Coast, it brought me back in time to the pioneer days - somewhere I always imagined myself.
We visited the mill not only as a homeschool field trip, but we purchased many food staples there: freshly ground flour, granola, dried fruit, oats, and our beloved freshly milled pancake mix. On Saturday mornings dozens of pancakes were cooked on the griddle and consumed with copious amounts of butter and maple syrup. Even better was when my dad made his famous bacon waffles. I have carried on our pancake and waffle tradition with my family, and when I started milling my own flour, all of the nostalgia of those childhood Saturday morning breakfasts came rushing back.
Earlier this year when I was home for a visit, my parents and I visited the mill. It was our first trip since it burned down in 2016 and was restored and reopened a few years ago. It was so comforting to walk through the doors and smell the earthy scent of fresh flour mixed with barn wood and licorice.
This freshly milled oven pancake recipe simplifies breakfast. Instead of hovering over the griddle pouring and flipping pancakes, sauté the sliced apples in a generous amount of butter and some warming spices until caramelized. Next, pour the pancake batter over the apples and transfer the skillet into the oven to bake.
The bonus of this recipe is the delightful aroma that will fill your home. It’s the perfect way to gently wake your household on a crisp fall morning. For an extra touch, consider adding freshly whipped raw cream and a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar to each serving.
Freshly Milled Oven Pancake with Caramelized Apples
Serves 6
TOOLS
blender
10-12” cast iron skillet
spatula
cutting board
chefs knife
Ingredients
Sautéed Apples
3 Tbsp ghee or butter
2 medium or 1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cardamom
Oven Pancake
1 cup or 245 grams milk
1.5 cups or 190 grams freshly milled flour 50/50 kamut and hard wheat are my preference
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup
Method
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
In a mixing bowl or blender, combine all oven pancake ingredients. Mix until smooth. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the sautéed apples.
In a 10” or 12” cast iron skillet, add 4 Tbsp ghee or butter and set the burner to medium heat.
Add the sliced apples, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg to the skillet. Sauté for 5 minutes, until the apples are soft, then turn the burner to low heat and let the apples continue slowly cooking until they start to caramelize in the pan.
Turn the burner off and pour the pancake batter over the sautéed apples, using a silicone spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl or blender clean. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed up and cooked through in the center.
Serve warm with butter and maple syrup, or whipped cream and powdered sugar.
