How long should crepe batter rest? How to store crepe batter?

WHEAT FLOUR CREPE BATTER

Starch and gluten

By blending the flour with starch and milk, you increase the volume as starch absorbs the water contained in the milk and the batter thickens. This is what explains it consistency. The gluten stretches and the batter becomes extensible, stretchy and soft.

How long should crepe batter rest?

2 hours minimum. I personally go for 12 hours. It's important that the batter becomes strechy and soft.

Any tips to shorten resting time?

My crepe recipe includes more eggs than the usual, and that’s on purpose. When the white is cooked, it curdles and makes the crepe stiff. In case you can’t make the batter rest long enough, the white will make up for the fact that the gluten has not had time to operate. It’s your lucky day ! With any other recipe including fewer eggs, the crepes get all papery, the sign of a batter that has not rested enough.

Can I refrigerate crepe batter to rest?

If the air temperature is lower than 20 degrees C, and for a maximum of 2 hours, you can keep the batter outside the fridge, covering the bowl with stretch plastic wrap. If the temperature is higher or the resting time longer, you should store the batter in the fridge (about 6 degrees C).

How long can I keep the batter?

Ideally 24 hours max. in a fridge (6 degrees C), as for all egg-based cooking-free recipes. In reality, you can keep the batter up to 48 hours without any problem, but never longer as the eggs and raw milk can contain salmonella that is not killed by the cold and it could lead to food poisening.
Don’t forget to cover with plastic wrap or the milk will absorb the different smells in your refrigerator.

BUCKWHEAT FLOUR CREPE BATTER

Our friend the yeast

My recipe for crepe batter contains only buckwheat flour. By mixing the water with the flour, the micro-organisms that it naturally contains will break down the starch and produce vitamins, flavours and CO2. These are the slight bubbles that can be seen on the surface of the bowl, proof of the fermentation process.

How long should the batter be left to rest?

A batter that has not been left to rest is very difficult to roll out (viscous) and the crepe remains grey when cooked. So, it is absolutely necessary to let the batter rest.
A minimum of 6 hours is considered satisfactory, and ideally 48 hours (which is what many traditional creperies do).

The longer the rest, the stronger the taste and the darker the colour of the galette.
The galette batter in Brittany rests much longer than in Paris, where the dark colour is mistaken for overcooking. Oh, the Parisians...

What tricks can be used to shorten the resting time?

There are three:

• Mix the day's batter with the previous day's batter. That's how you make vinegar and homemade yoghurt, right? The yeast from the day before will love the fresh batter.
• Use warm water. Heat speeds up fermentation.
• Add one or two tablespoons of honey to the bowl. It boosts the fermentation process!

Should the batter be left to rest in the refrigerator?

Trick question! The answer is "yes, but not all the time"!

• In the refrigerator (4° to 6°C) the fermentation is almost blocked but still takes place (see in the video below the interview (in French) of an expert from Grands Moulins de Paris on passive fermentation),
• From 10° to 15°C the activity is considerably slowed down,
• From 20° to 40°C the speed of fermentation increases by about 8% for each additional degree above 20°C.

So there is a little calculation to be made: start the fermentation then put in the refrigerator (in a bowl covered with cling film) or do the opposite, according to the time of use after the preparation. When in doubt, it's obviously in the fridge!

Want to know more?

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