Buttermilk Pancakes

Tall, tender and a little tangy. Buttermilk and baking soda give these their lift, and a short rest lets the batter thicken so the cakes stand up on the griddle.

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

incl. 5 min resting

Yield

4 servings

about 12 pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
1 tsp vanilla extract
Maple syrup and butter, to serve

Method

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a spatula until just combined. Small lumps are fine. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake.
Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Keep finished pancakes in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you cook the rest. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Kitchen note

Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixed batter makes tough, flat pancakes.

Where it comes from

Griddle cakes were a colonial staple. The fluffy buttermilk version became the default order at American diners in the 20th century.