A pancake is a flat, thin and circular cake made from a starch-based batter that contains eggs, milk and butter. Homemade pancakes are typically fried in oil or butter on a hot griddle or frying pan. It is a variety of batter-baked bread. It is likely that pancakes were consumed in prehistoric communities, according to archaeological data. The earliest known reference to pancakes is from 600 BC and comes from a poet who wrote about heated pancakes in one of his works.
Did you know, there is a day dedicated to pancakes? They are too special to be confined to just one day of the year and you will be surprised by its existence all over the world. Each culture has its own creative take on homemade pancake recipes and it is called by many names such as Indian cakes, hoe cakes, johnnycakes, griddle cakes, etc.
Pancakes are homemade and available in the form of store-bought mix across the globe in a variety of flavours. Let us see how a fluffy buttermilk pancake is made from scratch at home.
Ingredients for making homemade pancake recipe
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (with gluten)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups buttermilk
• ½ cup milk
• 3 whole eggs
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
Note: If you don’t not have buttermilk, it can be easily substituted with milk and lemon juice.
How to make fluffy buttermilk pancakes
Step 1: In a big bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda/powder and salt. Take another bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, milk, and melted butter. Until you are ready to start cooking, keep the two mixtures apart.
Step 2: Heat a frying pan and mix both the wet and dry mixtures together and blend it well. The batter will be lumpy which is exactly what is required.
Step 3: Pour the batter onto the preheated pan in the desired size you want the pancake to be, say half a cup/scoop for each pancake. Cook for about one to two minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface of the batter. Use a spatula to flip and cook it until it is brown on the other side. Repeat the process for the rest of the batch. Serve it hot in the choice of topping of your choice and dig in!
Nothing beats simple buttermilk pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. However, if you feel like enhancing your meal in any way, you can choose from berries, almonds, and chocolate chips. For a bit more warmth, you may also add cinnamon and vanilla into the batter. You can also top your buttermilk pancakes with jam or honey instead of syrup.
Tips for making the best pancakes
When making pancakes, use a griddle or a good frying pan. Avoid overmixing the pancake batter too much. After mixing your batter, let it sit for a while. You can use this time to warm up the griddle or pan, prepare the dishes, warm up the syrup, and other things. If the pancakes are not hot, you can serve your syrup warm. If you wish to add chocolate chips or berries, do it just before flipping the pancakes; this way it will stay intact.
Conclusion
You can make a pancake in a zillion different way. You can spice up or sweeten your breakfast or weekend brunch with blueberry buttermilk, lemon ricotta, sweet potato, brownie batter, carrot cakes and cannoli pancakes among others. You can go with a classic pancake and experiment with toppings - a drizzle or rain of maple syrup (depending on your mood), chocolate/Nutella topping, fresh fruits or berries, whipped cream, banana and chocolate chips, fruit compote, ice-cream etc. Once you have these recipes in your repertoire, you won't be able to look at those packaged pancake mixes in the same way again!
FAQs
What is the substitute for buttermilk?
Buttermilk can be substituted for regular milk and lemon juice or a simple trick can be used by adding vinegar to milk.
Can buttermilk pancake batter be frozen?
Since the wet and the dry mixtures are blended right before we plan to cook it, there is no means for it to be frozen. Luckily, the recipe is simple enough that it can be whipped on the same day that we plan to make.
Can buttermilk pancakes be frozen?
Yes, the cooked buttermilk pancake can be frozen for a good two months and reused. The batch has to be flash frozen on a baking sheet then placed in a freezer bag with date mentioned on the label. Whenever you plan to make pancakes next, all you have to do is reheat them in a toaster, microwave or oven.