Scargod's Perfect Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Take out butter, buttermilk and egg(s) and let them start to warm. Do not use cold ingredients! Start warming griddle over low heat while preparing ingredients.

Microwave buttermilk to 75-90 degrees F. Use a low setting. Microwave butter till melted but not hot.

Beat egg(s) first in small bowl, so they can get up to room temperature faster. Use a large enough bowl to allow adding the buttermilk later and room to wisk. Whisk melted butter and vanilla extract in with beaten egg. Salt and sugar could be mixed in with eggs at this point, rather than with the dry ingredients.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in medium-sized bowl. If using salted butter reduce salt!

Increase heat to medium and get surface of griddle or skillet to 375 degrees F. Use instant read thermometer, like a Raytek Mini-Temp. Apply a thin coating of oil. A silicone basting brush works well for this or spread with spatula. Another alternative is cooking spray, which is canola.

Add buttermilk to egg/egg mix and mix quickly.

Immediately add buttermilk mix into dry ingredients and, using a wisk, mix for 30 seconds or less. Beat fast and beat just until mixed! Adjust the viscosity, using buttermilk or milk till you get a pourable consistency that readily spreads out. If you are going to add nuts, berries or bananas…now’s the time. Fold them in quickly! If you use a lot of berries or bananas you may find that you want to reduce the liquid a little, and make a thicker batter, to compensate for the moisture that is given off.

Pour batter about 1/3 cup at a time or I like to just hold the bowl over the griddle and pour. Cut it off with your finger. Work in batches and avoid crowding and avoid cooling the griddle too much with too much batter at any one time. This takes practice to get the heat at 375 and keep it there. Pre-warming the griddle/skillet is essential.

When pancake bottoms are golden brown and tops start to have significant bubbles, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on remaining side. Repeat, adding only oil as necessary to prevent sticking.

If you need to adjust the thickness of the batter use buttermilk or regular milk. I always have additional milk or buttermilk at the ready; especially if the batter starts to thicken too much. You should try and have a viscosity of between 1,000 and 2,000 cP (centipoise, for those of you with a Ford viscosity cup or viscometer), and a specific gravity of .7-.8, without fillers (like fruit). The batter should stand up about a quarter of an inch when first poured out.

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