Buttermilk Pancakes

You can add fresh berries, thinly sliced fruit, or even crumbled crisp bacon to this batter for an extra hint of flavor.  Or substitute 1/2 cup wheat germ, cornmeal, or whole-wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour.  This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.  Enjoy them as much as I do!!!

Makes about 17



3 Tbs unsalted butter; more for serving

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

vegetable oil for griddle

Pure maple syrup for serving

Buttermilk Stand-Ins

These pancakes get their tangy flavor and light-as-air texture from buttermilk. But in a pinch, yo can use any of these substitutions:

• Powdered buttermilk Use according to package directions, adding water to the wet ingredients and the powder to the dry
• "Sour milk" Add 2 Tbs white vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups whole milk and let it stand for 10 minutes to thicken slightly; add to wet ingredients.

Yogurt and milk  Add 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup milk (both can be full-fat or low-fat) to the wet ingredients.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove and set aside to cool briefly.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  in a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated; stop before the batter is evenly moistened.  Add the cooled melted butter and mix just until the batter is evenly moistened (there will be lumps).  Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (or set an electric griddle to 375 degrees) until drops of water briefly dance on the surface before evaporating.  Lightly oil the griddle.  Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake, spacing them about 1 inch apart.  Let cook undisturbed until bubbles rise tot he surface and the edges look dry, 1 to 2 minutes.  Check the underside of each pancake to make sure it's nicely browned, then flip.  Cook until the second side is nicely browned, about 1 minute more.  Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Need to know:

Mix separately; Mixing the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls helps avoid overmixing after you've combined them.  Overmixing leads to tough, heavy pancakes.

Keep it lumpy; To minimize gluten formation, mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until the batter is evenly moistened; there should still be lumps.