A Fresh Look at Crepes

Crepes are simply thin, unleavened pancakes, and after a bit of practice—our recipes yield two more crepes than are needed for the fillings—you’ll be able to cook them with confidence. They also keep beautifully, and a stash of savory crepes can be a secret weapon for a stylish meal in a hurry.

I suspected that simply swapping buckwheat for all-purpose flour in our sweet crepe recipe wouldn’t be exactly right, since buckwheat is unrelated to wheat and is gluten-free, but doing so would at least get the development process started. I whisked buckwheat flour together with salt (omitting the sugar), milk, eggs, and melted salted butter and then heated a nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Thorough heating is imperative for even browning. I swirled 1⁄3 cup of batter around the pan to create a thin pancake, and when the surface was dry and the edges were browned, I loosened the sides with a rubber spatula and flipped the crepe with my fingertips to brown the second side.

Due to the lack of structure-forming gluten, these crepes had little flexibility and the dry fragility of burnt parchment. This explained why many recipes call for blending in some gluten-forming all-purpose flour. I followed suit, ultimately finding that a mixture with 75 percent buckwheat flour and 25 percent all-purpose flour yielded tender yet resilient crepes.

The all-purpose flour also helped balance the buckwheat’s robust flavor. But for some, its mineral‑y, bitter edge was still too strong, so I doubled the butter and salt, which made the crepes nutty and smooth.

Instead of building each galette complète individually in a skillet (the typical approach), I assembled four on a baking sheet and popped them into a hot oven.

With my galettes complètes complete, I saw an opportunity to experiment with other whole‑grain flours. Rye and whole‑wheat seemed ideal, since both have loads of character. And because these flours are gluten‑forming, I suspected that I might be able to use 100 percent rye flour or 100 percent whole‑wheat flour in my recipe. A few tests proved that I was correct; after adjusting the hydration levels, I was churning out stacks of big‑personality crepes—and fresh fillings to go with them.

The buckwheat, whole-wheat, and rye crepes each paired well with all the fillings I came up with, but I particularly like the rye crepes with a smoked salmon, pickled shallot, and caper-studded crème fraîche combo inspired by blini toppings. The earthy whole-wheat crepes are a lovely match for a rich mixture of cremini mushrooms and asparagus bound with cream and Pecorino Romano cheese; they are also terrific stuffed with garlicky sautéed cherry tomatoes and lemony ricotta cheese.