Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Wet Ingredients
- 200 g whole milk ricotta cheese
- 160 ml whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 4 g fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Orange-Cinnamon Glaze
- 120 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g orange zest
- 60 ml honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 15 g unsalted butter, cold
Topping
- 80 g feta cheese, crumbled
- fresh thyme sprigs, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 527 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 1077 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 172 mg
- Potassium
- 352 mg
- Calcium
- 417 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 40 mg
- Phosphorus
- 333 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 255 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.55 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 45 mcg
- Water
- 141 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, and the cinnamon stick. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper until well aerated.
In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, milk, eggs, melted butter, and chopped thyme until smooth.
Place the saucepan with the glaze ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened (syrupy consistency). Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick, and whisk in the cold butter (15g) for gloss.
While the glaze reduces, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are acceptable.
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat (approx. 190°C/375°F). Lightly grease with a small amount of oil or butter.
Pour approximately 60ml (1/4 cup) of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface and edges look set.
Flip carefully and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the underside is golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.
Stack 2 pancakes per plate. Drizzle generously with the warm orange-cinnamon glaze.
Top immediately with crumbled feta cheese and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- The ricotta adds moisture and creates a custard-like interior; drain the ricotta slightly if it is very watery before weighing.
- For the glaze, mounting with cold butter at the end (monter au beurre) gives it a professional sheen and velvety mouthfeel.
- The salty feta is crucial to balance the sweetness of the honey; do not skip it or substitute with a sweet cheese.
- If you prefer a stronger savory kick, add a pinch of chili flakes to the orange glaze reduction.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pancakes and glaze separately. Reheat pancakes in toaster; warm glaze slightly before serving.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze pancakes in a single layer. Glaze does not freeze well.
Reheating: Oven at 175°C (350°F) for 5-8 minutes or toaster.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes are dense or rubbery
Cause: Batter was overmixed after adding flour
Fix: Cannot be fixed for this batch; ensure lighter hand next time
Prevention: Stop mixing as soon as flour streaks disappear; use a folding motion
Pancakes are browning too fast before cooking through
Cause: Heat is too high
Fix: Finish cooking the browned pancakes in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 3-4 minutes
Prevention: Lower heat to medium-low after preheating
Cultural Context
This dish draws inspiration from the Mediterranean tradition of pairing salty cheeses with honey and fruits (like Greek feta with honey or Italian ricotta with figs). By translating these flavors into a pancake format, it bridges the gap between a Western breakfast and Middle Eastern dessert profiles.
