Big Dutch Baby Pancake

By Dennis Linden

When this recipe arrived on my desk, submitted by Dale Roberts our representative in Tampa, I assumed it was a potato dish using Melissa’s Baby Dutch® Yellows – assume nothing, grasshopper: no potatoes and the dish is not Dutch either! Though this dish was created right here in the Pacific Northwest, this writer admits to having never heard of it. 

“This recipe is a family favorite that we always enjoy when my family gets together for holidays or special events. We all can’t wait to have our breakfast Dutch Babies at the Roberts’ residence,” Dale explained. “The recipe itself came to our family in the 1970s in a San Diego breakfast restaurant. My dad had his first Dutch Baby at that cafe and loved it so much that he had to ask the chef how he made it. The chef shared the exact recipe with my dad and gave him tips to make sure it was prepared with the same quality standard as his.”
 
The Dutch Baby pancake is a variation of a German pancake, called pfannkuchen, and was introduced in the United States by a Seattle diner called Manca's Café in the early 1900s. The name "Dutch Baby" is said to have originated when the cafe owner's young daughter mispronounced "Deutsch" (German) as "Dutch" and it stuck. BTW: Since Dale’s recipe is titled Big Dutch Baby, one would assume that there are smaller versions … not. I guess one could make small individual servings, but all the recipes for this dish on the net called them “Big” or “Giant,” so Dale remained true to the original with one traditional omission that is much appreciated – no sugar. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top if you must. The combination of tart green apples, blueberries, and raspberries in this version has enough natural sweetness to require no artificial sweeteners or empty calories. While the café is no more, descendants of the original owner, Victor Manca, still operate a catering company serving the Seattle area.

The biggest difference between a pancake on the griddle and Dutch Baby is that the latter is oven-baked in a cast iron skillet, which produces a slightly puffy, large, golden pie-like dish that is served in wedges. The prep procedure is simple yet critical to success: preheat a cast iron pan in the oven with butter, mix batter while the pan is heating up and the butter is melting down, fold fruit(s) of choice into batter, then immediately pour batter into hot skillet and return to oven for 25 minutes. Pour your breakfast coffee and wait! Dale warns not to make batter ahead of time – fresh batter into a hot skillet is key. Most any fruit that is oven-friendly works for this dish, i.e., apples, pears, berries, peaches, and nectarines (not melons). The recipe measures are for a 10-inch skillet; adjust proportionally if using a smaller 8-inch or larger 12-inch skillet.

Dale Roberts was in the grocery retail industry for twenty-seven years before making the transition about nine years ago to Melissa’s and the business of wholesale perishables. Now headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Dale works exclusively with two of the company’s largest national retail grocery chain accounts, serving these clients' operations throughout the Southeastern states. He collaborates with both customers’ entire company structure at every level—from Senior Leadership to Category/Sourcing managers, as well as individual Regional and District Managers—to update, suggest and implement seasonal promotional opportunities from Melissa’s extensive product line of fresh and processed-from-fresh items.

“It’s a very competitive business, so we will do everything from high-level corporate meetings to in-store sampling—whatever it takes to separate the brand from the competition. In fact, one of the most enjoyable parts of my job is educating shoppers at store level and introducing good foods to a shopper, one-on-one,” Dale explained, then continued with a caveat; “Most recently, the biggest challenge with selling our products is inflation. Budgets are being tightened, resulting in a price-conscious consumer who cuts back on variety in the process. The economics will, no doubt, swing the other way again, as it always does. Right now, though, it can be challenging to convince our clients that their shoppers still will pay for superior quality products and variety, but we continue to prove that people will pay for superior products and variety.” 

After stints representing Melissa’s in San Diego and Seattle, Dale and his family have now settled in the Tampa, Florida region. The area fits right in with Dale’s natural attraction and passion for anything to do with water, which is where he can be found when he is done with his business day and every weekend. 

“I would say that I really am a Water Boy. Surfing, fishing, diving/spearfishing, boating, wakeboarding, jet skiing, or just relaxing in the Gulf. I have always loved being in the ocean or on a lake. I started to surf in San Diego with friends as a teenager and fell in love with everything about the ocean. In my 20s, I moved to Las Vegas and was introduced to Lake Mead—as in boating, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. I even spent a little time living in a lake house in Georgia, where I fished and jet-skied every chance I could. Then, in 2019, we moved to Florida, where we are now just a short 1.8-mile golf cart ride to the beach. The cart is also usually occupied by wife Christina, 8-year-old son Rusty and in the cushioned rear basket, Jack, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, aka Sir Jack. Love every minute of this paradise!”
  
Most recently, Dale has been involved in his son’s baseball league. As assistant coach, he not only loves coaching Rusty but also enjoys teaching all the other kids the game of baseball. Seeing the kids’ improvement and the smiles on their faces when they get a hit or catch a ball is what really makes coaching fun, says Dale. So, when asked: If you could invite any famous person, living or from history, to enjoy a meal at your own table— who would that be and why?  His answer was immediate:

“Being involved in coaching baseball these days and being a transplant from San Diego, I would have loved to have the honor of inviting the late and great San Diego Padres 20-year right fielder (1982-2001), Tony Gwynn, over for a meal. I would have to serve a cold AleSmith.394 Pale Ale, of course, which is a San Diego beer dedicated to the Padre Hall of Famer. My son Rusty loves baseball and is constantly trying to improve. Tony could give him some great advice on his baseball swing and how to get on base more often”.

A Big Dutch Baby and pale ale… breakfast of champions! 

BIG DUTCH BABY
Serves 8 

Ingredients
10” cast iron skillet
¼ cup butter
3 eggs              
¾ cup milk     
¾ cup flour
½ fresh blueberries 
½ cup fresh raspberries
½ cup green apple, diced small (Granny Smith or Green Dragon, when in season)

Preparation

Put butter in pan, then place into a 425°F oven to melt.

Mix batter quickly while butter melts: Put eggs in blender and whirl on high speed for 1 minute. While still blending, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour, blend for 30 seconds.  

Add fruit to batter, remove skillet from oven, and immediately pour batter over the hot melted butter. Chef’s note: Do not let batter sit for any length of time; it should be ready to go in the skillet when the butter melts. 

Return skillet to oven, bake until browned and puffy – 20 to 25 minutes. Plating: Serve in wedges, garnished with more fruit.