American Buttermilk Pancakes – Fluffy, Golden and Stacked High

About This Recipe

American buttermilk pancakes are in a different category from thin European crêpes — they are thick, fluffy, golden on the outside and tender in the middle, designed to be stacked four or five high and eaten with an obscene amount of maple syrup and butter. The buttermilk is the key ingredient: its acidity reacts with bicarbonate of soda to create bubbles in the batter, while its fat and lactic acid produce a tender, slightly tangy crumb that plain milk cannot replicate. The technique is deliberately hands-off: the batter must not be overmixed. Lumps in the batter are not only acceptable but desirable — they indicate that the gluten has not been overdeveloped, which would make the pancakes tough and dense. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, then let the batter rest for five minutes — the resting activates the leavening and produces the signature bubbling surface that tells you when to flip. Pancakes wait for no one — they must be eaten immediately as they come off the griddle. Butter on the griddle (rather than oil) produces the characteristic golden, slightly crisped edges. Stack generously, add a cold knob of butter on top, and pour maple syrup with complete confidence.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 280 gplain flour
• 2 tbspsugar
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 1 tspsalt
• 480 mlbuttermilk(shaken)
• 2eggs
• 4 tbspunsalted butter(melted)
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• butter(for cooking)
• maple syrup(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix dry ingredients

   Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a large bowl.

2. 2

   Mix wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.

3. 3

   Combine — do not overmix

   Pour wet into dry. Stir with a spatula just until combined — the batter should be lumpy. Stop before it becomes smooth.

   Lumps = fluffy pancakes. Smooth batter = tough pancakes. This is the single most important rule.

4. 4

   Rest

   Leave batter 5 minutes. You will see bubbles forming on the surface.

5. 5

   Cook

   Heat a griddle or large pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter. Pour ⅓ cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and edges look set, about 3 minutes. Flip once and cook 2 minutes more.

Variations

• •

  Blueberry pancakes: fold 150g fresh blueberries into the batter just before cooking.

• •

  Banana pecan: mash one ripe banana into the wet ingredients, fold in chopped pecans.

Storage

Pancakes reheat in a toaster for 1 minute or in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes. Freeze cooked pancakes for 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions