Are crepes or French pancakes leavened with baking soda or baking powder?

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Crepes, or French pancakes, are traditionally made without any leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder. The batter consists mainly of flour, eggs, milk, and sometimes water, which leads to a thin, delicate pancake that can be filled or topped with a variety of sweet or savory ingredients.

The absence of leavening agents is what allows crepes to have their characteristic texture, which is different from thicker, fluffier pancakes that do use baking powder or baking soda to create lift. This distinction is essential to understanding traditional crepe-making. The choice to keep the batter flat and dense results in a versatile dish that can be folded or rolled, allowing for a wide range of culinary applications.