If ever a breakfast food had a flair for dramatics, it would be the Dutch baby pancake. You pour a thin, eggy batter into a skillet and tuck it into a hot oven. In 10 minutes or so, the pancake bakes, puffs up like a popover, and then falls just about the time it hits the table. It makes for a spectacular brunch dish, and the quick rise-and-fall never fails to delight guests.
The origins of the dish and, specifically, its name are relatively obscure and difficult to pinpoint. Some evidence suggests that it’s an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, while others point to a turn-of-the-century café in Seattle. The truth, as is often the case, may lie somewhere in between.
