For a savoury pancake to serve alongside a roast or with leftovers, start with plain wholemeal flour if you want to control the seasoning and batter thickness. Self-raising wholemeal flour offers built-in rise for a thicker style; choose rye when you want its distinct flavour, but test a savoury adaptation before serving it with a roast.
A homemade pancake could be a side or a way to serve roast leftovers. Waitrose & Partners includes savoury pancakes in its dinner recipe collection, though that does not make them a conventional roast accompaniment.
If you want to use wholemeal flour, the grain and flour type still matter to the flavour and texture you are aiming for. The NHS suggests choosing wholegrain starchy foods as one way to add fibre to a diet.
Plain flour lets you decide what to add to the batter. Self-raising wholemeal flour has built-in rise, making it a different starting point if you want a thicker pancake.
Choose the pancake style first, then check the flour type and ingredients. Food Standards Agency pancake guidance published on GOV.UK in April 2025 says flour choice affects texture and recommends softer wheat flour with 8–10% protein for a less-chewy pancake; do not assume every wholemeal flour fits that description.
Choose it when: You want to set the seasoning and adjust the batter for a savoury side or wrap.
Bear in mind: Wholemeal flours vary; check the flour and test the texture rather than assuming a plain flour will produce a thin pancake.
Choose it when: You want built-in rise for a thicker pancake, as described for Allinson's self-raising wholemeal flour.
Bear in mind: That rise makes it a different starting point from a thin, crêpe-style batter.
Choose it when: You want the nutty flavour Doves Farm describes in its rye pancake recipe.
Bear in mind: Doves Farm's published version is sweet, so a savoury roast-dinner version needs adapting and testing.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Check whether the flour is plain, self-raising or strong bread flour. For a less-chewy wheat pancake, the Food Standards Agency recommends softer flour with 8–10% protein; make a test pancake to judge your batter. | I want a soft savoury side or wrapper, rather than a pancake that is too chewy for the way I plan to serve it. |
| Savoury flavour | Check ready-made pancakes and mixes for sweet flavourings. Plain flour gives you control over seasoning and fillings; Doves Farm describes a nutty flavour in its wholemeal rye recipe. | A sweet ready-made pancake would not suit the savoury filling or roast leftovers I have in mind. |
| Flour choice | Check the named grain and whether the flour is wholemeal. Match that choice to the recipe and texture you want rather than treating all wholemeal flours as interchangeable. | I would like to use wholemeal flour, but I still need the finished pancake to suit the meal. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact flour or mix label and its allergen declaration. The Aunt Bessie's pancake and waffle mix listed by Asda declares wheat and milk; do not apply that declaration to other products without checking them. | Before serving guests, I need to know whether the specific ingredients meet their food requirements. |
Tesco Groceries lists flavoured and sweet ready-made pancakes, which may not suit a savoury filling or give you control over the batter.
Check the individual product before buying. If you want to set the seasoning yourself, choose a flour and make a small savoury test batch.
Tesco Groceries lists strong wholemeal bread flour alongside other wholemeal flours. Food Standards Agency pancake guidance says flour type affects texture and recommends softer wheat flour for a less-chewy result.
Look for a flour suited to the pancake recipe you intend to make. If strong bread flour is what you have, test one pancake before preparing the full batch.
Wholemeal does not establish allergen suitability. Asda's listing for Aunt Bessie's pancake and waffle mix declares both wheat and milk.
Read the ingredient and allergen declaration on the exact product you will use, particularly when cooking for guests with food allergies.
Allinson's offers both plain and self-raising wholemeal flour, giving cooks two different starting points for a homemade batter.
Doves Farm publishes a wholemeal rye pancake recipe for cooks interested in a rye-based batter.
Tesco Groceries lists several wholemeal flour types, including Allinson's plain and self-raising products.
M&S lists Plain Wholemeal Flour and publishes a wholemeal pancake recipe.
These flour options provide starting points for making a savoury pancake batter. They include spelt flour, very strong bread flour and atta, so check each type against the texture and recipe you want.
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Consider this wholemeal spelt flour if you want to make and season your own savoury batter. It comes in a 1kg bag; check that your pancake recipe calls for the flour type you are buying, and read the pack's allergen declaration before serving guests.
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If you are considering this flour for pancakes, test a small batch before planning it as a roast accompaniment. The 1kg product is labelled very strong wholemeal bread flour, not plain wholemeal baking flour; Food Standards Agency guidance recommends softer wheat flour for a less-chewy pancake.
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If you want to try atta in a savoury pancake, check the flour details against your recipe and make a test pancake for texture. This is a 5kg bag, so consider whether that quantity suits how often you will use it.
Treat them as an optional savoury side or a way to serve leftovers, not as an assumed part of the roast. Waitrose & Partners publishes savoury pancake and pancake-for-dinner ideas, but your filling and batter need to suit the meal you are making.
Use plain wholemeal flour if you want to decide what goes into the batter and adjust its thickness; choose self-raising wholemeal flour if you want built-in rise for a thicker style. Make one test pancake, as Food Standards Agency guidance notes that flour type affects the finished texture.
No. Wholemeal does not tell you whether a mix meets either requirement. Asda's listing for Aunt Bessie's pancake and waffle mix declares wheat and milk, so check the exact product's ingredients and allergen declaration.
Confirm the exact flour type, pack size and current local availability before planning the batter. M&S notes that ingredients in its range can vary by season and store, so its listing alone should not be taken as confirmation of local stock.