Weekend mornings in my house now mean pancakes. It was not always like that, but once I learned how to make them fluffy from scratch, there was no going back to the mix.
The secret is simpler than I expected. It is all about the buttermilk and not overmixing the batter. These pancakes come out tall, soft, and golden every single time. My family asks for them almost every Saturday.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk, shaken well
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for the griddle
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Maple syrup and extra butter, for serving
Steps
1. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking instead of just stirring makes sure the leaveners are spread evenly. This matters, because a pocket of baking soda in one pancake will taste bitter. Take the extra 30 seconds and whisk it well.
2. Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla together. The buttermilk should be at room temperature if you can manage it. Cold buttermilk straight from the fridge still works, but room temperature batter cooks more evenly. Whisk until the eggs are fully blended in.
3. Combine them gently
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the flour disappears. Stop as soon as you cannot see dry flour anymore. The batter should look lumpy, and that is exactly right. Overmixing develops gluten, and gluten makes pancakes flat and chewy instead of fluffy.
4. Let the batter rest
Set the batter aside for 5 to 10 minutes while your griddle heats up. This rest lets the flour hydrate and the baking powder start working. You will notice the batter gets slightly thicker and a few bubbles appear on the surface. Do not stir it again after resting. Just scoop and cook.
5. Heat the griddle properly
Heat a griddle or large nonstick pan over medium heat. It is ready when a drop of water sizzles and dances across the surface. Brush it lightly with melted butter. Too much butter will fry the pancakes instead of browning them. Medium heat is the sweet spot. High heat burns the outside before the inside cooks.
6. Cook and flip once
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, leaving space between them. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set. Flip once with a thin spatula and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until golden. Only flip once. Flipping back and forth presses out the air and makes them dense.
7. Serve them warm
Stack the pancakes on warm plates as you finish each batch. Keep them covered with a clean kitchen towel so they stay soft. Serve with a pat of butter melting on top and plenty of warm maple syrup. Fresh berries or sliced bananas are wonderful too, if you have them.
Tips
If you do not have buttermilk, stir 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 2 cups of regular milk and wait 5 minutes. It works surprisingly well. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200 degree oven while you cook the rest, so everyone eats together. Leftover pancakes freeze beautifully between sheets of parchment paper.
Conclusion
These pancakes turned my slow weekend mornings into something my family looks forward to all week. Tall, fluffy, and golden, with syrup running down the sides. Once you make them from scratch, the box mix will just sit in your pantry.
