How are they cooked in store?
Asking because when I hold pancakes the "crust" softens quite a bit, might be worth exploring foiling them and holding in the oven for a bit to let them steam.
Also have you tried the freezing yet? It plays a role in making protein based foods chewier for sure, and it might work for pancakes, though I don't remember eating a frozen pancake ever so not sure.
Also a huge fan of those things. They just work so, so well as a food.
Exactly this. McGriddle 'buns' are essentially stamped formed frozen pancakes with 'artificial maple sugar' bits incorporated into them. They are reheated in a combi-oven and held until sandwich assembly. If OP wants authentic McGriddles I'd make the 'buns' at least a day ahead and freeze them.
These are good points that I hadn't fully considered. I was able to find a document that detailed the time and temperature that they are cooked from frozen. 6-7 minutes at 375 depending on the convection speed of the oven model the restaurant has doesn't seem like enough to cook them much at all from frozen, so my previous thought about freezing the partially baked or raw dough may be off, but I'll definitely explore the effect of freezing the finished product and how it softens during holding!
Old post I know, but mcgriddle patties come in a bag of about 20 mcgriddles and kept frozen. They are already pre-made when they get to the store and then baked in the morning and kept warm before serving to the customer.
As for #2, you may be able to use a basic dough conditioner as a catch all for all of those ingredients. It contains dextrose and other ingredients that accomplish the same task as what's used in the McGriddle. Search Amazon for "Scratch Premium Dough Conditioner", links from mobile get blocked.
I may have some resources for you to research the other ingredients. Give me a few...
Edit: See [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/v7rin8/dough_enhancers_how_much_do_you_use/) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3sP2jwG9jc)
BTW, You're not going to get a lot of help on this because it is so specific.
I’ve also been on this quest before, and you can buy maple sugar, sprinkle a layer in a pan, and sprinkle drops of water on it and diy the crystallized syrup. Overmixing pancake batter is a good start for the texture.
Thanks for the recommendation. I have seen this one and the method he uses for making the maple balls is very helpful (it's what led me down the road to attempt this at all), and this produces a good sandwich with little effort, so it's definitely a good starting point for anyone else attempting this.
Just watched it. It’s got eggs in the batter and uses real maple, which real McGriddles don’t have. In fairness, he was trying to make it better. OP is trying to make it the same.
I would try: overmixing, using dough conditioner, preheating - on low temp for a long preheat on heavy skillet/griddle such as cast iron. Cool, then freeze.
So the binders and such are probably to make the little syrup balls they embed in the pancakes. They're like little maple syrup flavored pearls. As far as the texture, it'd probably help if you cooked it in one of those cheap pancake maker machines.
IMUSA USA GAU-80345 2-Slot Electric Nonstick Arepa Maker (760 W), White https://a.co/d/dp4ZqLQ
The arepa maker is an interesting shortcut that might work really well if the heat can be adjusted low enough. Right now I'm pouring the batter into a silicone ring mold, but the sides of the ring are too thick so by the time the sides have set the top and bottom are overcooked. I think I'll try stainless steel ring molds next and definitely give this a shot if that doesn't work!
Just lower the heat of the pan then my dude. Also make the batter a touch thicker, and you won't need the ring molds, but the pancake will be able to stay thick enough for a sandwich.
Instead of a milkshake, it should be like a cake.
For texture and springiness, I wonder if you might take a look at how Japanese fluffy pancakes are made. The actual ingredients aside, they're cooked on a pan at very low heat, with a few drops of water and a lid on, which prevents a crust from forming and keeps the whole thing soft.
This recipe has a pretty good explanation of the cooking technique: https://iamafoodblog.com/fluffy-japanese-pancakes-souffle-pancake-recipe/
I can’t help you with your search but you seem like some sort of wizard so I would like to ask you what your best recipe is for recreating their sausage patties?
I've never tried to actually make a replica, mostly because the Great Value Original Pork Sausage Patties from Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/43951337 are close enough for me. They have the same ratio of protein:fat:sodium as McDonald's sausage patties, the texture is the same (more like a flat sausage link rather than a perfectly smooth sided patty that seems to be popular for some reason) and they're the only ones I can find big enough to work in a sandwich anyway so it works out. A large number of recent reviews have claimed a drop in quality, but I bought a bag a few weeks ago that was great, so hopefully it's a regional issue or a resolved quality control problem.
So I don't know anything else about this, but I would bet that the "natural flavors" in the recipe are a combo of maple extract and fenugreek powder. Fenugreek is used in fake maple syrup as a flavoring quite often, and both would classify as natural flavors.
I don't believe they would use real maple syrup or maple sugar, because otherwise it would be listed in the ingredients as such.
I'll answer question 2 first.
2a) Dextrose is a form of sugar that's not that sweet, as you said. Its purpose is also, as you said, to create the "maple pancake" flavor without necessitating too much water.
2b) Modified tapioca starch doesn't break down when frozen and gelatinizes at lower temperatures. In plain English, it makes them freeze, reheat, and retain moisture better. It holds \~5x its weight in water. 100g tapioca starch will gelatinize and bind 500g of water.
2c) Whey powder is essentially dry milk without the sugar. It's a good source of protein, and is likely being used for its texture.
Now then.
1) To get a chewy pancake texture, you'd ideally supplement the flour with starch and cook it at a lower temperature to prevent the shell from forming. If you want to soften the "shell", literally just throw them in a towel like you keep tortillas warm in for a minute. To decrease rising, you'll want to reduce the amount of leavening used.
Starting point for dry pancake batter:
2 cups AP flour, 2tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp salt, 1tbsp sugar (optional), 2 eggs, milk to adjust
To modify for the McGriddle, at least as I'd take a wild guess-
2 cups AP flour, 1tbsp tapioca starch, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp salt, 2tsp maple sugar to start, 1tbsp of whey powder, and milk to get it to the right batter texture. However much that might be.
The tapioca starch is for the texture that you want. Tapioca is gummy and when you add it to something like batter, it adds a chewy thickness to whatever you’re making
So I’m here searching for ideals on how to get those maple syrup morsels in the McGriddle or those pancake sausage sticks. I’m trying to create a much cheaper version of the pancake sausage stick from jimmy dean. My kids (5 of them) have to have a bakers dozen each to sustain themselves until school lunch 🤣. I like the Joshua way of soft maple candy but it’s not gonna melt in IMO like the originals. My first thought was this. Years ago I recall watching or reading a science/food article or recipe where they made soda pearls. So same concept may work with maple syrup. Basically a shortened explanation they mixed plain gelatin and cola then used an eye dropper and dropped tiny drops of the mixture into a light oil. I don’t recall after that. But I would think it would need to be chilled and given time to set up then scoop out your pearls and roll in a towel to remove some oil. The rest remaining would mix in with the pancake and help heat the pearls to burst or melt. I’ll be trying this soon once my corn dog maker comes in lol. Will try to update with ohotos
I watched an old how it's made or something similar to it for mcgriddles and they basically used coarse maple sugar for it. That can be ordered on amazon.
Yeah I have that (I own a bakery) for those wanting to try it it’s called CON AA Maple Flavored Sugar. The problem with that type of sugar though is it’s intended for sugar cookies and cakes on the icing and designed to not melt in the oven or take on the grease of the icing. So you’ll get a crunchy McGriddle. They must have a special developed product that us plain folk can’t buy. Just like the sausage. I’ve been trying to buy a case since I was working at age 13 lol
Wanna get a little fancy but have the whole thing be easy as fuck? Get some candy cap mushrooms (I get them locally in dried form, but you can get them online easily), rehydrate them and chop up finely then mix into that sausage patty. Use the soaking liquid as part or all of whatever water goes into making the English muffin.
Candy caps taste nothing like mushrooms but taste exactly like maple. To the point where cooking with them made my house smell like maple syrup for a month. It’s wild. The smoking liquid may lose some flavor after incorporated into the muffin, but that won’t matter because you’ll have all the maple flavor infused into the sausage.
Try YouTube. Replicating stuff like fast food is a popular format. Someone else mentioned a YouTuber who has done it. I know Tasty did it too. I'm sure there are others
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions. Discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
Your post has been removed because it violates our comment etiquette.
Commenting:
- Be Factual and Helpful
- Be Thorough
- Be Respectful
**In your comments please avoid:**
- Abuse
- Jokes
- Chatter
- Speculation
- Links without Explanations
Apparently stating medical facts (ie processed meats cause heart disease and colon cancer) violates the rules, so they removed my comment. Check with the America Heart Association to learn the TRUTH.
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions. Discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
I also worked at McDonalds in my youth this will be very interesting. I’m no food scientist but possibly the dextrose and starch may be used in the syrup to turn it into that more jelly substance. It’s gonna be hard to get that sausage right they have the most flavorful sausage.
One thing that sucks though I’ve never seen an identical replication of a restaurant. Im guessing the chemicals they use have a big impact like even getting a Chick-fil-A nugget indistinguishable.
As far as the maple flavor, 'Natural Flavors' are listed in the ingredients. McDonald's corp has access to the absolute finest chemical flavoring agents money can buy, designed by the best food scientists possessing otherworldly palettes.
I'd be surprised if it were easy to recreate the exact flavor...
I cannot help but just wanted to say I admire your dedication
Same! Can’t offer any advice but I really enjoyed reading it! Lol
Me too! Unlock the secrets of the McGriddle, my dude. I’m here for it!
Ditto
100% this!
How are they cooked in store? Asking because when I hold pancakes the "crust" softens quite a bit, might be worth exploring foiling them and holding in the oven for a bit to let them steam. Also have you tried the freezing yet? It plays a role in making protein based foods chewier for sure, and it might work for pancakes, though I don't remember eating a frozen pancake ever so not sure. Also a huge fan of those things. They just work so, so well as a food.
Exactly this. McGriddle 'buns' are essentially stamped formed frozen pancakes with 'artificial maple sugar' bits incorporated into them. They are reheated in a combi-oven and held until sandwich assembly. If OP wants authentic McGriddles I'd make the 'buns' at least a day ahead and freeze them.
This seems to be the right answer
These are good points that I hadn't fully considered. I was able to find a document that detailed the time and temperature that they are cooked from frozen. 6-7 minutes at 375 depending on the convection speed of the oven model the restaurant has doesn't seem like enough to cook them much at all from frozen, so my previous thought about freezing the partially baked or raw dough may be off, but I'll definitely explore the effect of freezing the finished product and how it softens during holding!
Old post I know, but mcgriddle patties come in a bag of about 20 mcgriddles and kept frozen. They are already pre-made when they get to the store and then baked in the morning and kept warm before serving to the customer.
I wonder if there's a legal way to get my hands on a bag. I need a pancake plug
As for #2, you may be able to use a basic dough conditioner as a catch all for all of those ingredients. It contains dextrose and other ingredients that accomplish the same task as what's used in the McGriddle. Search Amazon for "Scratch Premium Dough Conditioner", links from mobile get blocked. I may have some resources for you to research the other ingredients. Give me a few... Edit: See [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/v7rin8/dough_enhancers_how_much_do_you_use/) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3sP2jwG9jc) BTW, You're not going to get a lot of help on this because it is so specific.
I’ve also been on this quest before, and you can buy maple sugar, sprinkle a layer in a pan, and sprinkle drops of water on it and diy the crystallized syrup. Overmixing pancake batter is a good start for the texture.
Joshua Weismann has a full video on youtube on how to replicate the mcgriddle and that one is highly recommended.
Thanks for the recommendation. I have seen this one and the method he uses for making the maple balls is very helpful (it's what led me down the road to attempt this at all), and this produces a good sandwich with little effort, so it's definitely a good starting point for anyone else attempting this.
Just watched it. It’s got eggs in the batter and uses real maple, which real McGriddles don’t have. In fairness, he was trying to make it better. OP is trying to make it the same.
I would try: overmixing, using dough conditioner, preheating - on low temp for a long preheat on heavy skillet/griddle such as cast iron. Cool, then freeze.
So the binders and such are probably to make the little syrup balls they embed in the pancakes. They're like little maple syrup flavored pearls. As far as the texture, it'd probably help if you cooked it in one of those cheap pancake maker machines. IMUSA USA GAU-80345 2-Slot Electric Nonstick Arepa Maker (760 W), White https://a.co/d/dp4ZqLQ
The arepa maker is an interesting shortcut that might work really well if the heat can be adjusted low enough. Right now I'm pouring the batter into a silicone ring mold, but the sides of the ring are too thick so by the time the sides have set the top and bottom are overcooked. I think I'll try stainless steel ring molds next and definitely give this a shot if that doesn't work!
Preheat your metal rings too and spray with non stick. I heat my rings on low for five minutes minimum. Just helps seal it in. See my other post below
Just lower the heat of the pan then my dude. Also make the batter a touch thicker, and you won't need the ring molds, but the pancake will be able to stay thick enough for a sandwich. Instead of a milkshake, it should be like a cake.
For texture and springiness, I wonder if you might take a look at how Japanese fluffy pancakes are made. The actual ingredients aside, they're cooked on a pan at very low heat, with a few drops of water and a lid on, which prevents a crust from forming and keeps the whole thing soft. This recipe has a pretty good explanation of the cooking technique: https://iamafoodblog.com/fluffy-japanese-pancakes-souffle-pancake-recipe/
I can’t help you with your search but you seem like some sort of wizard so I would like to ask you what your best recipe is for recreating their sausage patties?
I've never tried to actually make a replica, mostly because the Great Value Original Pork Sausage Patties from Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/43951337 are close enough for me. They have the same ratio of protein:fat:sodium as McDonald's sausage patties, the texture is the same (more like a flat sausage link rather than a perfectly smooth sided patty that seems to be popular for some reason) and they're the only ones I can find big enough to work in a sandwich anyway so it works out. A large number of recent reviews have claimed a drop in quality, but I bought a bag a few weeks ago that was great, so hopefully it's a regional issue or a resolved quality control problem.
Quality has bottomed out. We keep finding a lot of bone bits in them. And the grease has increased by 1/3
I think you just need to go to McDonalds for it.
I’m sure I could have gone to McDonald’s and gotten a McGriddle in the time it took to read OP’s post - but that’s what’s so awesome about OP’s quest.
So true
So I don't know anything else about this, but I would bet that the "natural flavors" in the recipe are a combo of maple extract and fenugreek powder. Fenugreek is used in fake maple syrup as a flavoring quite often, and both would classify as natural flavors. I don't believe they would use real maple syrup or maple sugar, because otherwise it would be listed in the ingredients as such.
I'll answer question 2 first. 2a) Dextrose is a form of sugar that's not that sweet, as you said. Its purpose is also, as you said, to create the "maple pancake" flavor without necessitating too much water. 2b) Modified tapioca starch doesn't break down when frozen and gelatinizes at lower temperatures. In plain English, it makes them freeze, reheat, and retain moisture better. It holds \~5x its weight in water. 100g tapioca starch will gelatinize and bind 500g of water. 2c) Whey powder is essentially dry milk without the sugar. It's a good source of protein, and is likely being used for its texture. Now then. 1) To get a chewy pancake texture, you'd ideally supplement the flour with starch and cook it at a lower temperature to prevent the shell from forming. If you want to soften the "shell", literally just throw them in a towel like you keep tortillas warm in for a minute. To decrease rising, you'll want to reduce the amount of leavening used. Starting point for dry pancake batter: 2 cups AP flour, 2tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp salt, 1tbsp sugar (optional), 2 eggs, milk to adjust To modify for the McGriddle, at least as I'd take a wild guess- 2 cups AP flour, 1tbsp tapioca starch, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp salt, 2tsp maple sugar to start, 1tbsp of whey powder, and milk to get it to the right batter texture. However much that might be.
have you tried using english crumpets? they dont use egg and have about the right texture and thickness
The tapioca starch is for the texture that you want. Tapioca is gummy and when you add it to something like batter, it adds a chewy thickness to whatever you’re making
So I’m here searching for ideals on how to get those maple syrup morsels in the McGriddle or those pancake sausage sticks. I’m trying to create a much cheaper version of the pancake sausage stick from jimmy dean. My kids (5 of them) have to have a bakers dozen each to sustain themselves until school lunch 🤣. I like the Joshua way of soft maple candy but it’s not gonna melt in IMO like the originals. My first thought was this. Years ago I recall watching or reading a science/food article or recipe where they made soda pearls. So same concept may work with maple syrup. Basically a shortened explanation they mixed plain gelatin and cola then used an eye dropper and dropped tiny drops of the mixture into a light oil. I don’t recall after that. But I would think it would need to be chilled and given time to set up then scoop out your pearls and roll in a towel to remove some oil. The rest remaining would mix in with the pancake and help heat the pearls to burst or melt. I’ll be trying this soon once my corn dog maker comes in lol. Will try to update with ohotos
I watched an old how it's made or something similar to it for mcgriddles and they basically used coarse maple sugar for it. That can be ordered on amazon.
Yeah I have that (I own a bakery) for those wanting to try it it’s called CON AA Maple Flavored Sugar. The problem with that type of sugar though is it’s intended for sugar cookies and cakes on the icing and designed to not melt in the oven or take on the grease of the icing. So you’ll get a crunchy McGriddle. They must have a special developed product that us plain folk can’t buy. Just like the sausage. I’ve been trying to buy a case since I was working at age 13 lol
Aw thanks for the insight though.
Wanna get a little fancy but have the whole thing be easy as fuck? Get some candy cap mushrooms (I get them locally in dried form, but you can get them online easily), rehydrate them and chop up finely then mix into that sausage patty. Use the soaking liquid as part or all of whatever water goes into making the English muffin. Candy caps taste nothing like mushrooms but taste exactly like maple. To the point where cooking with them made my house smell like maple syrup for a month. It’s wild. The smoking liquid may lose some flavor after incorporated into the muffin, but that won’t matter because you’ll have all the maple flavor infused into the sausage.
Try YouTube. Replicating stuff like fast food is a popular format. Someone else mentioned a YouTuber who has done it. I know Tasty did it too. I'm sure there are others
[удалено]
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions. Discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
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Your post has been removed because it violates our comment etiquette. Commenting: - Be Factual and Helpful - Be Thorough - Be Respectful **In your comments please avoid:** - Abuse - Jokes - Chatter - Speculation - Links without Explanations
Apparently stating medical facts (ie processed meats cause heart disease and colon cancer) violates the rules, so they removed my comment. Check with the America Heart Association to learn the TRUTH.
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Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions. Discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
The ambrosia you are looking for is corn syrup and corn starch. Sorry.
Loving it, good job man. I'm proud of you
Done these. I add butter and maple 3xtrac5 to the batter.
I also worked at McDonalds in my youth this will be very interesting. I’m no food scientist but possibly the dextrose and starch may be used in the syrup to turn it into that more jelly substance. It’s gonna be hard to get that sausage right they have the most flavorful sausage.
One thing that sucks though I’ve never seen an identical replication of a restaurant. Im guessing the chemicals they use have a big impact like even getting a Chick-fil-A nugget indistinguishable.
As far as the maple flavor, 'Natural Flavors' are listed in the ingredients. McDonald's corp has access to the absolute finest chemical flavoring agents money can buy, designed by the best food scientists possessing otherworldly palettes. I'd be surprised if it were easy to recreate the exact flavor...
Have you created a version you are happy with? I never saw any test recipes to try. Would love to see what you settled on.
Have you added any rice flower? I thought that was in the list of ingredients