Do you use it too? The ingredient that makes for light pancakes and crispy fried treats
Carbonated or mineral water is not just reserved for refreshment - it has an interesting and useful role in cooking, especially in the preparation of certain types of dough, advises Index.hr.
The key ingredient for light and fluffy pancakes
Our grandmothers taught us that it's a good idea to add a little mineral water to the pancake batter. This makes the pancakes softer, lighter, and fluffier. The carbon dioxide bubbles in the carbonated water create tiny air pockets in the batter, which makes for a more airy and delicate texture.
We usually use carbonated water instead of part of the milk – for example, if the recipe calls for 500 ml of liquid, we can add 250 ml of milk and 250 ml of carbonated water. This works especially well for pancakes without baking powder, where a light texture is needed without additional ingredients. You can see the recipe for making pancakes with the addition of carbonated water HERE.
It also helps with fried treats, donuts, and savory pies
As Index.hr advises, carbonated water can also be used in the preparation of fried delicacies. Forget the classic panada made of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, because the trick to preparing delicious fried delicacies that are juicy on the inside and so crispy on the outside that they melt in your mouth, lies in the use of tempura. The basic tempura batter is made from simple ingredients: eggs, flour and carbonated or mineral water, and the preparation is very simple. You can find the full process HERE.
Some recipes for puff pastry or pie and burek dough also use carbonated water. The latter makes the dough easier to stretch and more elastic. It is often added to the filling for pies and burek. You can see the recipe for a delicious pie with potatoes and minced meat HERE.
It is also great as an addition to dough for buns or rolls, or to bread dough without yeast, as it helps to make it soft.
Also, adding a small amount of carbonated water (1–2 tablespoons per egg) to the scrambled egg mixture before baking can make the dish fluffier and lighter.
Recently, mineral water has also been used in the preparation of mice and donuts, where it can replace milk or be combined with it to add airiness to the dough.
What should you pay attention to when using it?
The carbonated water should not be warm – use it cold, especially if you are making breadcrumbs or pancake batter. Also, avoid mixing the batter for too long after adding it, as this will cause the bubbles to evaporate and the effect will be lost.
