Batter (cooking)

Batter is thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan. Batter is used mainly for pancakes, light cakes and as the coating for some fried foods. The word batter comes from a French word battre. Battre means beat. Many batters require vigorous beating or whisking in their preparation.

A number of batters are made by combining dry flour with liquids, like eggs, milk and water. Often, a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to fluff up the batter while it cooks. The mixture may be naturally fermented for this actual purpose, as well as to add flavor.

The viscosity of batter may be from very 'heavy" to "thin". Heat is applied to the batter, often by frying, baking or steaming in order to cook the ingredients and to "set" the batter in a solid form.

Beer batter

Beer is a popular ingredient in batters used to coat food before frying. One reason is that a basic batter can be made from flour, beer and some salt. The purpose of using beer is so the bubbles in the beer will add lightness and body to the batter. The practice of beer battering is popular in several countries, including the United States, Iceland, Germany and Australia.