Rye Griddle Cakes

A plain three-flour griddle batter of the sort that filled out breakfast when rye was cheaper than wheat. The measures are all by volume, including the flours, so a set of dry cup measures is all you need.

• Pints into cupsA pint is 2 cups, so this is 2 cups rye flour, 1 cup Graham flour, 1 cup white flour, and 2 cups milk: four cups of flour in all. The weight varies with how the flour is scooped, so go by volume as the recipe does.
• Graham flourGraham flour is coarsely milled whole wheat, named for Sylvester Graham. Ordinary whole-wheat flour substitutes directly; stone-ground is closer to the original texture.
• Include the white flourThe ingredient list calls for 1/2 pint of white flour but the mixing directions name only the rye and Graham. Sift all three together with the sugar, salt and baking powder.
• Leavening is lightTwo teaspoons of baking powder for four cups of flour is on the low side by current practice, and rye contributes little gluten to trap gas. Expect dense, flat cakes rather than fluffy ones; a third teaspoon will not hurt.
• Let the batter standRye absorbs liquid slowly. Ten to fifteen minutes of rest thickens the batter noticeably, so judge consistency after resting and thin with a little more milk if it no longer pours.
• Griddle heatThe recipe says only 'hot'; a medium-hot, lightly greased surface is the safe reading. Rye is generally reckoned to brown faster than wheat, so the 'deep brown color' can arrive sooner than you expect and tip into scorched.
• YieldDepends on how thick you pour; a batter this size makes cakes for several people. They hold heat poorly; keep them in a low oven on a rack rather than stacked, which steams the crust soft.