Lívance (Czech Yeast Pancakes)

Lívance are an old Bohemian and Moravian home favorite, traditionally cooked in a special cast-iron pan with round hollows that gives them their characteristic shape. Distinct from the thin rolled palačinky, these yeast-leavened rounds belong to a Central European family of griddle cakes and were everyday comfort food in farmhouse kitchens. Topped with fruit preserves and sweet curd, they remain a cherished breakfast and afternoon treat.

Each little cake is golden and lightly crisp at the edge, soft and cloud-like within from the yeast rise. A spoon of tart jam and cool quark melts into the warm pancake, sweet and tangy in every soft bite.

Yeast fermentation produces carbon dioxide that gives lívance their thick, airy rise, far puffier than a chemically leavened pancake. Folding in whipped egg whites adds extra air, so the cakes stay tender and light rather than dense.