Pancake Day Inspiration from Dame Clare Marriage

Celebrating Craft, Grain and Tradition

As Pancake Day approaches, we are delighted to share two recipes from Dame Clare Marriage — miller, grain pioneer and one of the UK’s leading voices in championing heritage flour and sustainable baking.

Clare’s work sits at the intersection of tradition and innovation. As the founder of Doves Farm, the UK’s number 1 organic flour brand , she has been instrumental in reviving interest in diverse grains, stoneground flour and the importance of provenance in our daily bread and indeed, our pancakes.

For Clare, Pancake Day is more than a single moment in the calendar. It is an opportunity to reconnect with simple ingredients, understand the character of different flours, and celebrate the transformative magic that happens when grain, egg and milk come together in the pan.

In these two short films, Clare shares her expertise through recipes that reflect both tradition and accessibility: a deeply flavourful wholemeal rye pancake, and an easy gluten-free crêpe that ensures everyone can take part in the ritual.

Wholemeal Rye Pancakes

In this video, Clare demonstrates how wholemeal rye flour brings depth, character and a gentle earthiness to pancakes. Rye’s rich flavour and nutritional profile offer a beautiful alternative to refined wheat flour, creating pancakes that are both nourishing and full of personality.

Working with wholegrain flours connects us more closely to the grain itself its terroir, its texture, and its history reminding us that even the simplest dishes can carry profound meaning.

Recipe

Ingredients:

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
150g blueberries
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water

SESAME AND ORANGE ZEST TOPPING
1 tbsp orange, zested
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds

WHOLEMEAL RYE PANCAKES
250ml milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
125g Doves Farm Organic Wholemeal Rye Flour
2 tsp Doves Farm Baking Powder
15g butter, melted
2 eggs
butter, for pan
crème fraîche, to serve

Method:

Blueberry Compote

1. Put the blueberries, sugar and water into a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Cook for 4-6 minutes until the berries soften then remove from the heat.

Sesame Orange Zest Topping

1. Peel the zest from an orange using a zester.

2. Measure 1 spoon of the sugar and the sesame seeds into a small saucepan over a medium heat.

3. Shake the pan regularly until you see the sugar just starting to melt. Remove the pan from the heat,

4. Add the orange zest and remaining 2 spoons of sugar and stir vigorously to make small sugary lumps.

5. Tip everything onto a plate and leave to cool.

Rye Pancakes

1. Measure the milk into a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, stir, cover and leave for 30 minutes.

2. Put the rye flour and baking powder into another bowl and stir to combine.

3. Melt the butter.

4. Break the eggs into the prepared milk and beat well.

5. Sieve the prepared flour into the bowl, adding any bran left in the sieve.

6. Stir in the melted butter.

7. Rub a little butter around the inside of a frying pan and put it over a medium heat, making sure the butter doesn’t brown.

8. Tip the batter into the pan to make 10cm/4” circles and cook over a medium heat.

9. When air holes appear in the pancake top(s) and the base is golden, turn the pancake(s) over and cook the other side.

10. Lift the pancake(s) out of the pan onto a warm plate.

11. Repeat until the batter is used.

12. Serve the pancakes with some berry compote, crème fraiche and sprinkled with the sesame orange topping.
    
    

Easy Gluten-Free Crêpe Pancakes

Recipe

Ingredients:

200g Plain White Flour
2 eggs (or 1 tbsp Gram Flour + 2 tbsp water)
500ml milk (or plant milk)
oil, for pan

Method:

Make gluten free pancakes

1. Put the flour into a large bowl or jug.

2. Break the eggs into the bowl (or add the FREEE Gram Flour + water), and half the milk (or plant milk),

3. Beat to a smooth paste then stir in the remaining milk to make a thin batter. Refrigerate the batter for up to 12 hours – otherwise it’s ready to go.

4. Lightly oil a frying pan, so that the oil just covers the surface, and get the pan nice and hot.

5. Stir the batter, then spoon or pour some into the hot pan, rolling it out to the edges.

6. Cook the pancake, loosening the edges, until the base is golden.

7. Turn it over and cook the other side.

8. Repeat until the batter is used.

9. Turn the pancakes out onto a plate and keep warm until you are ready to serve them.

10. Serve flat, rolled or folded with sweet or savoury fillings.

Clare also shares a wonderfully accessible gluten-free crêpe recipe, proving that dietary requirements need never be a barrier to enjoying Pancake Day traditions.

Light, delicate and versatile, these crêpes offer the perfect base for sweet or savoury fillings, and demonstrate Clare’s belief that good baking begins with understanding ingredients and working with them confidently.

Supporting Knowledge, Craft and Community

At Les Dames d’Escoffier London, we are proud to celebrate members like Clare, whose work preserves traditional skills while helping shape a more sustainable and inclusive food future.

Sharing knowledge lies at the heart of our mission — empowering women in food, beverage and hospitality through education, mentorship and community. These moments of generosity, where expertise is passed on and traditions are kept alive, reflect the very spirit of our global organisation.

This Pancake Day, we invite you to try Clare’s recipes, explore new grains, and take pleasure in the enduring ritual of cooking and sharing food.