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Fluffy
Also searched as: light, airy, fluffier, fluffy pancakes
In short: Fluffy means: lots of small gas bubbles that are held in place in the oven, and a batter tender enough not to be tough.
Picture it
Like a sponge with a thousand little holes instead of a brick.
Levers and techniques for “Fluffy”
Tap a dot to see its connections.
What Fluffy means
Gas comes from baking powder, yeast, whisked egg whites or steam. It turns fluffy when the gas forms at the right moment and the batter sets before it escapes. Little keeps the result tender.
What happens
Too much mixing makes it tough and drives the air back out. Too little raising agent or standing too long leaves the batter flat.
The levers
Rules of thumb
- Combine dry and wet ingredients only briefly.
- Fold in whisked egg whites gently.
- Do not leave a batter with baking powder standing for long.
In practice
2
Cakes and baking
Pancakes: lumps in the batter are fine. Stirred smooth, they turn rubbery.
Eggs
Soufflés and soufflé omelettes live entirely on whisked egg whites.
Related entries
Pancakes turn rubbery
Muffins have tunnels
Light and airySources · 2
- America’s Test Kitchen: Baking powder vs. baking soda
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Kuchen, Gebäck, Zucker