Buttermilk Pancakes Tested Recipe & Video

Printer Friendly Page

Buttermilk Pancakes have a light and spongy texture and their flavor only hints of the richness and tanginess that buttermilk offers. You begin these pancakes as you would any regular pancake batter; by whisking together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Only instead of using milk, eggs, and melted butter to bind the dry ingredients together, you replace the milk with buttermilk. The Buttermilk Pancakes are so good with pure maple syrup, but I also like them with butter and jam.

When you make these Buttermilk Pancakes each ingredient has a purpose. First, the flour. Flour contributes to the body, structure, texture and flavor of these pancakes. Sugar is added to give the pancakes a touch of sweetness, yet it also adds moisture and helps to give the pancakes their lovely golden brown color. The baking powder and baking soda provide the leavening, giving the pancakes their light and airy texture. Salt has the ability to bring out the flavors of all the ingredients. The egg provides color, texture, flavor and richness to the batter and it helps to bind all the ingredients together. The butter adds a rich flavor and helps to make the pancakes wonderfully tender. And lastly, the buttermilk, which has a thick and creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery flavor that makes these pancakes so tender, fluffy, and soft. While you can buy buttermilk, another option is to use buttermilk powder or you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Just stir the vinegar or lemon juice into the milk and then let it stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Once the batter is made, all that is left to do is to cook the pancakes. Try to use either a heavy gauge pan (skillet) or griddle. Preheat the pan before greasing it with melted butter or oil (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray). Keep in mind that you may have to adjust the heat as you go to ensure that the pancakes have a lovely golden brown crust and are cooked all the way through. Another option is to use an electric griddle with the temperature set to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). You can pour or ladle the pancake batter onto the bottom of your pan and you can make the pancakes any size. Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are golden brown and bubbles start to appear on the uncooked top surfaces of the pancakes (2-3 minutes), then turn them over. Continue to cook the pancakes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. If not serving immediately, place in a 175 degree F (80 degree C) oven directly on the wire rack for about 15-20 minutes. Leftover pancakes can be frozen and simply reheated in the oven or in your toaster.