Most mornings are crazy busy in my house, getting two kids to school with a baby in tow. So, breakfast is usually Pop-Tarts, cereal or Hostess muffins…and my kids like it that way! 
But, on the weekends, we try to have a big breakfast as a family at least one day, if not both days. My husband likes to make savory breakfasts of eggs, bacon, and English muffins. But, of course, I prefer a sweet breakfast. So, my absolute favorite thing to make and eat is pancakes. I must have tried at least 20 recipes on my quest for perfection. It seems that the recipes I like best have buttermilk or sour cream to give a slight tang to the pancake. I like them fluffy and tender, but with enough structure to stand up to the butter and syrup. I find a lot of recipes that include vegetable oil, but I always substitute melted butter because it gives much better flavor. So far, this recipe from Southern Living is my favorite. It is one of a handful of pancake recipes that I have made more than once. Fluffy? Check. Tender? Check. Tangy? Check. Delicious? Check. Yep, they meet all of my criteria for a great pancake.
But, on the weekends, we try to have a big breakfast as a family at least one day, if not both days. My husband likes to make savory breakfasts of eggs, bacon, and English muffins. But, of course, I prefer a sweet breakfast. So, my absolute favorite thing to make and eat is pancakes. I must have tried at least 20 recipes on my quest for perfection. It seems that the recipes I like best have buttermilk or sour cream to give a slight tang to the pancake. I like them fluffy and tender, but with enough structure to stand up to the butter and syrup. I find a lot of recipes that include vegetable oil, but I always substitute melted butter because it gives much better flavor. So far, this recipe from Southern Living is my favorite. It is one of a handful of pancake recipes that I have made more than once. Fluffy? Check. Tender? Check. Tangy? Check. Delicious? Check. Yep, they meet all of my criteria for a great pancake. As far as the toppings, I like my pancakes smeared with butter and drowned in syrup, or with strawberries and whipped cream, or a simple sprinkling of vanilla sugar. I always have a few leftover, which I keep in the fridge, for a quick breakfast the following morning. These pancakes can easily be changed up with lots of different mix-ins like chocolate chips, berries, and bananas. So, while I think I’ll always be on a quest for the perfect pancake, at least for now, these are as close as I can get. They were so good, I actually made them two weekends in a row. Now, when it comes to me and my love for pancakes…twice in a row?? That says something!
Buttermilk Pancakes
Yield: 18 (4-inch) pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil I used 1/4 cup of melted butter instead
Combine first 5 ingredients; stir well.
Combine eggs, buttermilk, and oil (or melted butter if you prefer) in a bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. I like to use a large cookie scoop to measure and pour the batter.
Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked; turn and cook other side.
Store unused batter in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to a week. If the batter gets too thick, add milk or water to get it to the right consistency.
Choc Chip Uru
/ March 12, 2012OMG so thick fluffy and wonderfully presented – come into my arms oh pancakes…
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Just Baked
/ March 14, 2012Thanks so much! I just love strawberries and the pop of color they bring to photos. These pancakes are really fluffy and yummy.
Megan L. Gates (@hellafied)
/ April 1, 2012I always have trouble with making pancakes. They never turn out fluffy like the restaurant kind. I’ll have to try this recipe next! Yum.