German Pancake, Baby on a Shoestring

By awright0511

Gluten-free Dutch Baby German Pancake
I leave the room temperature ingredients out on the counter overnight, alongside the bare baking dish. I wake up, turn on the oven, whisk together the ingredients, and we are all sitting down, fat and happy within less than 30 minutes. Done.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (or fat alternative of your choosing)
• 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups milk (low-fat is fine, nonfat is not; nondairy substitute is fine)
• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. As the oven is heating, place the vegetable shortening in a 13 inch x 9 inch x 2 inch baking dish, and place the dish in the oven until the shortening melts (a few minutes, tops). Remove the baking dish, rotate it to distribute the shortening evenly around the pan, and set it aside.
In a large bowl, add the next 5 ingredients (eggs, milk, flour, xanthan gum, and salt) and beat with a wire whisk until smooth and thickened. The batter will still be thin and pourable, but it should not be the drippy kind of thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and return it to the preheated oven.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes, until the pancake is very puffy & the edges are a golden brown {see photo above}. You are not likely to burn the pancake if you bake it the full 20 minutes, but you really do not want to under-bake it. Under-baked, it will deflate almost immediately after you remove it from the oven and won’t have much body. You’ll still eat it, but you’ll feel cheated. Trust me. I speak from experience.
Dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar, slice into wedges, and enjoy right away. Go! Right now!