I swear I’m not on a buttermilk kick lately, I just have a lot leftover from when I had to buy a quart just to use 3 tablespoons for blue cheese dressing.
As much as I’ve had trouble using up buttermilk, this pancake recipe might just be perfect enough for me to go out and buy it again. I’ve had buttermilk pancakes before, but not like this. They’re thinner than most, and because of the reaction between the slightly acidic buttermilk and baking soda/baking powder (think of 2nd grade science experiments with vinegar and baking soda), they come out impossibly light and airy. Warm, juicy blueberries pop in your mouth just as the pancake melts away into nothingness. These pancakes are not sweet, but you can increase the sugar if that’s your style. Whatever you put on them, be it maple syrup, butter, or (God forbid) Aunt Jemima, these pancakes will shine through with their own complex, utterly delicious flavor.
Make sure not to mix the batter too much, and let it sit for about 5 minutes before you start cooking the pancakes to make sure they get their lighter-than-air texture.
Adapted from Scott Jenson.
Makes about 8 medium sized pancakes
What you need:
- 1 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 c flour (bread flour works incredibly, but all purpose would also do the trick)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- blueberries (as many or as few as you want)
What to do:
- Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add half of dry ingredients and whisk until relatively smooth (but don’t whisk for more than about 10 seconds). Add the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk briefly, just to barely mix. The batter should be lumpy. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Heat a nonstick skillet on medium-low heat. Add small scoops of batter to the pan, making sure not to crowd it so you have room to flip. Sprinkle a few blueberries on top of the pancakes.
- When the top is really bubbly and the sides just start look like they’re drying out, flip the pancakes and cook about 30 seconds more, just until the second side browns.
Tags: fruit
Aunt Jemima would take this opportunity to express her wrathful indignation if she weren’t so busy smiling because she’s on the cover of a bottle of delicious sweetness.