Perfect, Crispy Pancakes

A perfect pancake should be almost more savory than sweet, with crispiness that rivals a waffle. These are that, but could also be described as fluffy, slightly eggy and “deeply breakfasty.” Don’t be discouraged if it takes more than one pancake to nail the heat of your skillet— every stove is different, and depending on the vessel you’re making them in, might require some adjustment.

The best piece of advice I could give you would be to be more patient than you probably want to be— Pancakes need to be treated low-ish and slow-ish (flipping them before they’re fully set on the first side will cause them to immediately deflate rather than keep their tall and fluffy structure).

YIELD — 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 ½ cups buttermilk

• 2 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• Coconut oil for the pan (vegetable or canola oil can be used as well)

Directions

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt together in a bowl.

2. In a medium bowl (or the measuring cup you measured your buttermilk in), whisk the eggs into buttermilk. Gently whisk this mixture into your dry ingredients— it’s okay if more than a few lumps remain. Add the melted butter and (still) gently, whisk everything together, moving towards the outside of the bowl, until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not overbeat (a few lumps are fine, trust!).

   If you like, the batter at this stage can be refrigerated for an hour or two.

3. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat for a few minutes, until the skillet is visibly hot. Add 1-2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and turn heat down to medium-low. Using a measuring cup, ladle 1/4-1/3 cup batter into the skillet (depending on how large you like your pancakes).

   If you’re using a large skillet (or a griddle), feel free to make one-two more, just making sure they aren’t spreading to make one giant pancake.

4. Once you notice a few bubbles begin rising on the surface and the bottoms are nicely browned (this will take about 2 to 4 minutes), flip them. Cook until the other sides are lightly browned, another 2 minutes or so. If you’re making a bunch at a time, you can move pancakes as they’re ready to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, and keep in a 325° oven until all the batter is cooked and you’re ready to serve.