Buttermilk Pancakes

Name: Buttermilk Pancakes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour; 30 g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; 4 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 500 ml (2 cups) buttermilk, or 460 ml milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice, rested 10 minutes; 2 large eggs; 50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan; 1 tsp vanilla extract; butter and maple syrup; fresh berries, optional

Tall, fluffy American-style pancakes with a tender crumb

Makes: about 12 pancakes, 10 cm
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Level: Easy

These are thick, tender pancakes with a light tang from buttermilk and crisp golden edges. Mixing only until just combined and letting the batter rest briefly make the biggest difference.

Ingredients

Dry

250 gall-purpose flour (2 cups)
30 gsugar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
2 tspbaking powder
½ tspbaking soda
4 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)

Wet

500 mlbuttermilk (2 cups)or 460 ml milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice, rested 10 minutes
2large eggs
50 gunsalted butter (3½ tbsp)melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
1 tspvanilla extract

To serve

butter and maple syrup
fresh berriesoptional

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk
Origin: United States

Method

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop while there are still small lumps and streaks of flour.
Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes. It will thicken and bubble. 10 min
Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat. Heat the oven to 90°C (200°F) to keep cooked pancakes warm.
Brush the pan lightly with butter. Pour in 60 ml (¼ cup) batter per pancake, leaving space between them.
Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look dry and set, 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook 1½–2 minutes more until golden and springy. 4 min
Keep the pancakes warm in the oven on a rack while you cook the rest. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Why it works

Buttermilk's acid reacts with the baking soda to release carbon dioxide, which lifts the batter, while baking powder adds a second burst of rise in the heat. Overmixing develops gluten and makes pancakes tough and flat, so lumps are a good sign. Resting lets the flour hydrate and the bubbles form, giving taller pancakes.

Common mistakes

Overmixing: tough, flat pancakes. Stop when just combined.
Pan too hot: burnt outside, raw inside. Medium heat; the first pancake is a test.
Pressing the pancakes down with the spatula: it squeezes out the air.

Variations

Blueberry pancakes: Scatter a few blueberries onto each pancake right after pouring the batter; don't stir them into the bowl.
Whole-wheat: Replace half the flour with whole-wheat flour and add 2 tbsp extra buttermilk.

Make ahead and storage

Cooked pancakes freeze for 2 months, separated by baking paper; reheat in a toaster or a 180°C (350°F) oven for 8 minutes.