Hellbender’s Masa Pancakes Recipe

The chef Yara Herrera is obvious: “I didn’t invent the concept of a masa pancake.” However she perfected the shape at Hellbender restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens, the place the theme of native heirloom corn runs by way of the tacos and tostadas on the menu. For brunch, masa offers the pancakes a sturdy crackle on the edges round a crisp prime. Inside, it infuses the batter with a depth not normally present in pancakes, as does the addition of yogurt, yielding a crumb that’s without delay tremendous and fluffy. Contemporary masa, a doughy mass of floor nixtamalized corn, will be bought from tortillerias and a few Latin markets (see Tip). It’s blended right into a batter that stays mild utilizing Ms. Herrera’s strategy of cooking tall pancakes in tiny particular person skillets. However masa harina, shelf-stable flour floor from dried masa, is extra available and will be substituted as directed beneath, with the batter sizzled into the standard flatter rounds. —Sean Kenniff and Genevieve Ko