Buttermilk pancakes
| Serves | 4 |
|---|---|
| Time | 25 min |
| Per serving | 414 kcal (1656 for the batch) |
| Contains | wheat, gluten, dairy, egg |
| Contributed by | Dan F. |
| Tags | breakfast · griddle |
| Calories are computed from the ingredient records. Approximate. | |
Description
The acid in the buttermilk wakes the baking soda and softens the gluten; that is the whole trick.
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | Its job here | Swaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cups | All-purpose flour | structure | 1 option |
| 2 tbsp | Granulated sugar | sweet | 2 options |
| 2 tsp | Baking powder | leaven-dry | none |
| 1 tsp | Baking soda | leaven-dry | none |
| 1/2 tsp | Kosher salt | season | none |
| 2 cups | Buttermilk | liquid | 2 options |
| 2 | Eggs | bind | 2 options |
| 3 tbsp | Butter, melted, plus more for the pan | melted | 5 options |
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in another.
- Pour wet into dry and stir only until no dry streaks remain. Lumps are fine; a smooth batter is a tough pancake.
- Rest 5 minutes while a skillet heats over medium. Butter the pan lightly.
- Ladle ¼-cup rounds. Flip when bubbles break on the surface and the edges look dry, about 2 minutes; cook 1 minute more.
Substitutions for this recipe
Rules come from each ingredient's record and are resolved for the job the ingredient does in this recipe. Confidence is the community's, not a guarantee.
| Instead of | Use | How much | What changes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Gluten-free flour blend | 2 cups (× 1) | One-for-one with a blend that includes xanthan gum. Rest the batter 30 minutes. Crumb is more delicate; cookies are a bit sandier. ⚠ For yeast breads a blend is not enough; that needs a different recipe. |
●●○ medium |
| Granulated sugar | Honey | 1 1/2 tbsp (× 0.75) | Use ¾ the volume. Reduce other liquid by 3 tbsp per cup of honey, add ¼ tsp baking soda per cup, and lower the oven 25°F: honey browns fast. ⚠ Never for infants under one year. |
●●○ medium |
| Granulated sugar | Maple syrup | 1 1/2 tbsp (× 0.75) | Use ¾ the volume and reduce other liquid by 3 tbsp per cup of syrup. Milder browning than honey; flavor shows in quick breads. | ●●○ medium |
| Buttermilk | Greek yogurt | ¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milk per cup of buttermilk | Use ¾ cup yogurt thinned with ¼ cup milk per cup of buttermilk. Slightly richer, slightly thicker batter. | ●●○ medium |
| Buttermilk | Whole milk | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice per cup of buttermilk | Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into each cup of milk and wait 5 minutes. The acid is what wakes up the baking soda. ⚠ Plain milk with no acid gives flat, tough pancakes. |
●●● high |
| Egg | Applesauce | ¼ cup applesauce per egg | ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce per egg. Adds moisture; the crumb tightens. ⚠ Quick breads and muffins only. |
●●○ medium |
| Egg | Ground flaxseed | 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg | Per egg: 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes. Binds well; slightly denser, faintly nutty. ⚠ Binds but does not leaven. Reliable up to two eggs; beyond that the bake goes heavy. |
●●○ medium |
| Butter | Coconut oil | 3 tbsp (× 1) | One-for-one. Chill it first if the recipe creams; use refined to avoid coconut flavor. ⚠ Labeled as a tree nut by the FDA; check with anyone who avoids tree nuts. |
●●○ medium |
| Butter | Greek yogurt | replace half the butter with the same volume of yogurt | Swap half the melted butter for yogurt; the loaf stays moist and tightens slightly. ⚠ Quick breads only. Do not use in cookies, shortbread, crusts, or pans. rule for: melted |
●●○ medium |
| Butter | Margarine | 3 tbsp (× 1) | Nearly identical result. Cookies spread slightly more and taste a little flatter. | ●●● high |
| Butter | Olive oil | 2 1/4 tbsp (× 0.75) | Use ¾ the amount; mix with the wet ingredients. Moister, keeps longer. ⚠ Oil cannot be creamed. Where the recipe creams butter and sugar, the texture changes a lot. rule for: melted |
●●● high |
| Butter | Vegetable shortening | 3 tbsp (× 1) | Taller, softer cookies and flakier crusts, but no butter flavor. Add ⅛ tsp salt per ½ cup. ⚠ Flavor loss is obvious in shortbread and pound cake. |
●●● high |