Light and fluffy, these classic buttermilk pancakes are eager to soak up the pools of melted butter and maple syrup required of the breakfast of (y)our dreams. The batter couldn’t be simpler to make; and if you’re like us, you’ll pop a pan of bacon into the oven to be ready as soon as the first batch of buttermilk pancakes comes off the griddle.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter or oil, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir until the mixture is fairly smooth; some small lumps are OK.
Allow the batter to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
While the batter is resting, heat a large skillet over medium heat or preheat a griddle to 350°F, until the surface is hot enough for a droplet of water to skitter across it. Lightly grease the pan with butter or vegetable oil.
Spoon the batter, 1/4 cup at a time, onto the hot surface; a scone and muffin scoop works well here.
Cook pancakes on the first side until bubbles form on the tops and the bottoms are brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the bottoms are brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Serve the buttermilk pancakes immediately, or hold briefly in a warm oven.
Leftover buttermilk pancakes can be frozen the same day they're made and reheated in a 250°F oven.
To make extra-fluffy buttermilk pancakes: Mix the batter as directed, but separate the egg. Add the yolk to the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla; reserve the white. While the batter is resting, add an additional egg white to the reserved white, and whip the two until medium to stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter just before portioning onto a hot griddle. For details see our blog post, How to make fluffy pancakes.
Want to make thin, delicate, crêpe-like pancakes? See how in our blog post.
To make rich, buttery pancakes: Mix the batter together incorporating any of the adjustments detailed in our blog post, How to make buttery pancakes. These adaptations include doubling the butter, adding an extra egg yolk, using full-fat dairy, letting the batter rest, and cooking the pancakes in additional butter.
