Buckwheats and Nostalgia

I miss a lot of things about West Virginia.  I miss my friends and family, of course, but I also miss the natural beauty of the state, the funky little towns like Morgantown and Lewisburg, and...the food.  Mmmm....pepperoni rolls...  Where was I?  Oh, yeah - food.

Yesterday, as my students were beginning a reading chapter about food roots and foodways, I had the opportunity to talk to them about some of the food festivals that take place in my home state.  We have the Strawberry Festival, various ramp festivals, and a Buckwheat Festival every autumn in Preston County.

That made me think about buckwheat pancakes.  It had been years since I'd had one.  There's nothing like a fresh buckwheat pancake, risen overnight, covered in blackberry jam.  Or soaked in syrup and served with a sausage patty or two.

Since I've been feeling the call of Autumn in my bones, I decided to whip up a batch of buckwheats from the sack of flour my parents sent me a while ago.  Heavenly!   They cooked up beautifully (photos courtesy of my boyfriend) and really hit the spot.

Buckwheat pancakes – overnight recipe

I cobbled this recipe together from the bag of buckwheat flour and a website I can’t find right now.  I should’ve bookmarked it.  The recipe on the website included the egg and molasses (which I subbed with honey because I couldn’t find my molasses).    I left out the all-purpose flour and did straight buckwheat.  

2 cups buckwheat flour

1 package dry yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon molasses or honey

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup lukewarm water

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbls oil

The night before you plan to make and serve these pancakes, mix together the yeast, sugar, salt and flour in a bowl.  Stir in the warm water.  Cover and leave overnight.

The next morning, mix the baking soda and molasses or honey with the warm water.  Mix the water, oil, and egg into the batter.  Let rest for 30 minutes.

Cook pancakes in a skillet or on a griddle.  I use about 1/3 cup at a time, and this will make a good-sized stack.   This recipe made about a dozen pancakes for me.