Buttermilk Pancakes

I thought I would try out buttermilk in a recipe using real buttermilk before creating any of the adulterous substitutions (e.g., adding 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk) to see what it does with pancakes. And it's not just the extra fat in the recipe that makes these pancakes very fluffy indeed, but the slightly sour taste of the buttermilk gives a bit of an edge to them as well.

While my basic pancake recipe is based on Alton Brown's, this ingredient ratio is from Martha Stewart's recipe site. I thawed about a cup of frozen blueberries in warm water and drained them before adding them to the pancakes. What makes this recipe a success goes beyond the basic ingredients and is really due to the order of operations.

I'll be eating blueberries for a while longer with more than four quarts of them in the freezer. Only five more months until they are in peak season again. I might have gone a little bit overboard picking them last summer at a local farm. I couldn't resist how inexpensive and locally grown they were.

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 c. cultured buttermilk
1/2 c. whole milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 c. frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together, then whisk in the buttermilk, whole milk, and melted butter. If the dairy is too cold, the butter will firm up again.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. Take care to not over-mix the batter.

4. Heat a nonstick griddle or cast iron pan and melt half a pat of butter in it before adding the first pancake. Use a ladle or soup serving spoon to spoon the batter into the pan. Add some blueberries to the pancake. When bubbles form around the edges, gently flip the pancake and cook its other side.

Oven Baked Pan Cake

When I was a child, my dad used to make this sweet breakfast item in a large square cast-iron skillet on the stove. When I got much older, I asked him for the recipe. Apparently it was one that he created after much trial and error, and had forgotten over the years. I was told that I had to recreate it by the same method, trial and error. As for the size of the cast iron pan, I used an 8" and given how much one side of the batter rose while baking, it's probably be better in a 10" or larger pan. This is my first run at remaking a childhood memory.

The recipe's ingredients and baking process is remarkably similar to German Apple Pancake, Oven Fried Pancake, Baked Peach Pancake, Yorkshire Pudding (minus the drippings of roast beef), or a Dutch Baby. I imagine that this recipe has gone through hundreds of iterations across different countries and generations. Here is my rendition of it.

Despite how it looks, it is really good.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
3/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp unbleached granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and while it is heating up, place clean cast iron pan in oven.

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar.

2. Whisk eggs and milk together (1-2 minutes) by hand or with an electric mixer. Gradually whisk in flour mixture.

3. When the oven reaches the baking temp, take skillet out and put in butter pieces. The butter melts pretty quickly, so use a spoon to coat the sides of the pan with butter. This'll make it easier for the cake to slide out after baking.

4. Pour in batter and bake for 25 minutes. It should be lightly golden colored on top when done.

5. Remove from oven and slide cake out onto a plate. Cut into slices and serve with a fruit compote, eat it plain, with freshly sliced fruit, or bacon.

Homemade pancakes

Ever look on a store brand box of pancake mix? Look at what they ask you to add: an egg, some oil, some water or milk. So, do you know what you are really buying? A box of pre-packaged, pre-mixed flour, baking soda, and baking powder. The material requirements to make your own pancakes is extremely inexpensive, compared to the $4 most people dish out for a box of mix. Plus, what happens if you're left with a small amount of mix? You could go out and buy another box, but with this method you can make what you want. 

This recipe feeds 3 somewhat hungry people or 2 very hungry people. 

1 c. unbleached white flour 
1 tsp. baking powder 
1/2 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
1/4 tsp. nutmeg 
1 tbsp. unbleached cane sugar 
2 eggs 
2/3 c. organic milk 
1 tbsp. olive oil 
1/4 c. dried blueberries (optional) 

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl. 

2. Whip eggs together in a small bowl. Add vanilla extract, olive oil and sugar. Beat until combined. 

3. Combine egg mixture into flour mixture. Mix while adding milk. Beat until not lumpy.