Sunday Brunch: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

One of the first recipes I made on this site was for buttermilk pancakes. The recipe was one I used frequently, probably for years, with only tiny variations as I never really looked at a written recipe when I went to make them. Those pancakes are slightly thicker a puffier, although still tender and not too heavy.

This new recipe is why it sometimes pays to experiment a bit and no just stick with the same old thing, no matter how good the original was.

When I started on this recipe I thought that I wanted to make pancakes that would be slightly thinner and lighter than my standard, without going all the way to the crepe end of the spectrum. I used more liquid and omitted the baking powder, which gave the first cakes an extra lift during cooking. These turned out to be a bit thinner, but it was the texture that was the real difference. They are lighter and more tender than the original and where you can eat only a few of those cakes, you can have a whole pile of these (if you’re so inclined). They have a lot of buttermilk flavor, so there is no real need to add a lot of butter to the batter, though a bit on top of the cakes as you’re eating them wouldn’t hurt!

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tsp vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Heat a skillet or griddle over high heat until a drop of water placed on it skitters around the surface. It’s too hot if the water evaporates instantly on contact. Drop by large spoonfuls (to make desired size) into the preheated pan and cook until golden on both sides, turning once.
Serve with maple syrup.

Serves 2-3