Buttermilk Pancakes

When I ask Shannon what she wants for breakfast, she usually answers, “Pancakes!” This is a bit of an ongoing joke between us, as I tend to automatically veto breakfasts comprised purely of carbohydrates. This isn’t necessarily because I’m a nutritional Nazi (which is partly true) but because a breakfast without protein and/or fiber leaves me feeling logy for the rest of the day, sort of in a starved and squinty daze. Every once in a while though, if I wake up before her, I’ll go to whip up a batch of pancakes and hope to have them done before she gets out of bed.

There seem to be two types of pancakes: the slightly crispy edged ones that sort of look like they have a rim at their edges, and the tender and stackable hotcake ones they’re always showing in commercials. Now don’t quote me on this, because my “science of pancakes” isn’t exactly up to snuff, but I think the major difference between these two pancakes comes down to the leavening agent.

When baking powder is used exclusively, the pancakes tend to rise while they’re in the pan, which gives them a bit of time to crisp up. When baking soda is used as well, the batter is slightly leavened already, so when it is poured into the pan, it rises more uniform and the pancakes end up more tender. That might not be exactly how or why, but I’m 99% certain the result holds true. Please, feel free to correct me. I hate being wrong. That is, I hate not knowing when I’m wrong.

When using baking soda, you have to utilize an acid in the recipe to set it off, such as buttermilk. So buttermilk pancakes, in theory, will likely be the tender and picture worthy variety. These tend to keep better when making a large batch, because crispy things don’t tend to keep crispy for very long. Therefore, I think the buttermilk pancakes have a slight edge over the crisped edge variety.

The rest is simply about heat control. I like to use a cast iron skillet to cook my pancakes, slightly greased for the first pancake with a bit of vegetable oil, and then a spot of butter whenever it needs it from there on in. There’s just something right about using cast iron to cook a pancake. If nothing else, cast iron retains heat better, so once you find the sweet spot, that exact temperature on your stove that churns out perfect pancakes, you won’t have to fiddle with knobs when the thinner Teflon pans start to lose heat.

As you may know, Quebec produces most of the world’s maple syrup. That doesn’t mean it’s particularly inexpensive here, but no matter where you are, it’s still worth getting the good stuff. There’s nothing better than real maple syrup as a topping for a stack of pancakes. “Pancake syrups” or whatever other maple flavored syrups that don’t actually contain anything derived from maple trees are just high fructose corn syrup with some artificial flavors added. It’s too thick and too sweet and too… fake – it’s soda pop concentrate for breakfast is what it is. Please, if you haven’t tried or don’t already use real maple syrup, make the switch. If nothing else, it’s actually useful for many other things than pancakes! End rant. Insert recipe.

Buttermilk Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups (185g) all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (45g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon (2g) salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• Vegetable oil, butter and real maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl.
3. Combine the egg, butter and vanilla and stir into the dry ingredients. Gradually whisk in the buttermilk until you have a slightly runny and pourable batter. Alternatively, combine all of the ingredients in a blender. The blender is nice because it has a pour spout. Also, less dishes. I like the blender.
4. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat, greased with a bit of vegetable oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of pan (a small ladle tends to be particularly well suited for this and produces uniform results). Watch for small bubbles to appear all over its surface, then carefully flip it over with a spatula.
5. Continue cooking the other side for another minute or two, then transfer the pancake to a baking sheet and leave in the oven to keep warm.
6. Adjust the heat as necessary and repeat with the remaining batter. Add a little bit of butter as necessary to prevent pancakes from sticking.
7. When all is said and done, pile up your hard work on a plate, top with a pat of butter and drizzle real maple syrup over the stack.

I like pancakes with steel cut oats and bananas. Just in case you’re ever making me pancakes. Don’t forget the coffee! I’m going to need it.