Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

Instructions

0 of 7 steps complete

1. 1Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until completely blended — leftover pockets of leavening are what make pancakes taste bitter in spots.
2. 2In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Cold buttermilk and room-temperature eggs give the best rise, and the butter must be cool enough that it doesn't scramble the eggs.
3. 3Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a spatula just until the flour disappears. Lumps are correct and should stay — over-mixing develops gluten and turns pancakes tough and flat.
4. 4Let the batter rest untouched for 10 minutes. It will thicken and bubble faintly as the baking soda activates; this rest is the single biggest reason these pancakes come out tall.
5. 5Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet to medium-low (about 325°F/160°C) and brush lightly with butter. Test it: a few drops of water should skitter and evaporate in about 2 seconds.
6. 6Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake, leaving space between them. Cook 2–3 minutes until bubbles form across the surface and stay open and the edges look set and matte, then flip once and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden with no wet center.
7. 7Keep finished pancakes in a single layer on a rack in a 200°F/90°C oven while you finish the batch so they stay crisp. Serve stacked with butter and warm syrup; leftover batter keeps 2 days refrigerated — stir it gently, never whisk it, before using.