Thin or thick stone-ground flint-corn meal pancakes, made with hot water or milk and cooked on a griddle. Eaten at breakfast with maple syrup, or as a side to chowder. Rhode Island's official heritage dish.

Johnnycakes pre-date Rhode Island statehood, with origins in Narragansett tribal nokehick (parched cornmeal). Designated the state's official cornmeal cake in 1968. Kenyon's Grist Mill in West Kingston has stone-ground the canonical Rhode Island flint cornmeal since 1696. East Bay style is thin and crispy; West Bay style is thick and cake-like.

Where to eat Rhode Island Johnnycakes in Providence

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Make it at home

Serves 1230 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 300g stone-ground white flint cornmeal (Kenyon's if you can get it; Anson Mills as substitute)
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 300ml boiling water (for East Bay thin style) OR 350ml whole milk (for West Bay thick style)
  • 1 large egg (West Bay only)
  • 1 tsp baking powder (West Bay only)
  • 30g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
  • Maple syrup, butter and crisp bacon, to serve

Method

  1. For East Bay thin johnnycakes: combine the cornmeal, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the cornmeal and whisk to a thin batter the texture of single cream. Let stand 5 minutes; it thickens slightly.
  2. For West Bay thick johnnycakes: combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder. Whisk in the whole milk, egg and melted butter to a thicker batter the texture of yoghurt.
  3. Heat a heavy cast-iron griddle or pan over medium heat. Brush generously with melted butter.
  4. For East Bay: pour 3 tbsp of batter onto the griddle for each cake, spreading thin with the back of a spoon to about 10cm wide.
  5. For West Bay: drop heaped tablespoons of batter for thicker pancakes about 8cm wide and 1cm thick.
  6. Cook 3 to 4 minutes a side until the edges crisp and turn deep golden. Flip carefully; johnnycakes are fragile.
  7. Keep warm in a low oven while cooking the rest. Brush more butter on the griddle between batches.
  8. Stack on a plate with butter melting between layers. Serve with maple syrup poured over and crisp bacon on the side.

Editor tip. Use stone-ground white flint cornmeal if you can; yellow cornmeal tastes wrong. The East Bay vs West Bay debate is real and unresolvable; pick your side.

Common allergens: Dairy.