Sunday Morning Pancakes
We have a tradition at our house. Every weekend, we have pancakes. Every Sunday, to be exact. Our pancake of choice: Buttermilk Pancakes. We always have Buttermilk Pancakes. Then our individual flair sets in. My husband is generally partial to dusting his pancakes with powdered…
We have a tradition at our house. Every weekend, we have pancakes. Every Sunday, to be exact.
Our pancake of choice: Buttermilk Pancakes. We always have Buttermilk Pancakes.
Then our individual flair sets in. My husband is generally partial to dusting his pancakes with powdered sugar. The kids like to make pancake “tacos” with strawberry preserves. Myself? I’m a traditionalist; I prefer a generous drizzle of pure, unadulterated maple syrup. Specifically, Grade B maple syrup, because the rich flavor of Grade B is more suited to pancakes than its lighter Grade A counterpart.
The recipe I use is actually Martha Stewart’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes, and time and time again, they have proven to really be the best. They are light, fluffy, and so adaptable. When I want to indulge, we drop in some chocolate chips. The batter also holds up very nicely to berries or mashed bananas. The key is to pour the batter on your griddle, then drop in the fillings. It also helps to let the batter sit a little bit. If you can stand waiting, your pancakes will be a bit fluffier.
I make a generous amount every weekend, and if there are any leftover, I freeze each pancake between slivers of parchment paper. When the kids want pancakes for breakfast during the school week, I can easily warm them up in the microwave. It’s been many years since I bought frozen pancakes or a box of Bisquick.
Sometimes I make a half batch if we’re not that ravenous, or if I still happen to have a stash of frozen pancakes (rare, but it happens). If you are cooking for fewer, here is the half batch recipe:
Martha’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes
half batch recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart Living, January 2001. Find the original recipe here.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I prefer Clover – it really makes a difference in taste and rise!)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus ½ teaspoon for griddle
Heat griddle to 375 degrees. If you plan to keep pancakes warm in the oven, heat oven to 175 degrees.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
Add egg, buttermilk, and 2 tablespoons butter using a whisk. Do not over mix; the batter should have small lumps.
Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining ½ teaspoon of butter onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
Using an ice cream scoop or ladle, pour pancake batter (about half a cup), 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2½ minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
Work in batches, keeping finished pancakes in the oven. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!
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I LUUUV buttermilk pancakes. They are my favorite food in the whole world. I could eat them every day (although my wife won’t allow me to!). Great pancake photo on you blog. I could look at it all day!!
made these today with some buttermilk I needed to find a use for. they were delicious, I’ve made other scratch buttermilk pancakes before, but wasn’t thrilled with them and ended up opting to go back to mixes, but these are lovely, thank you and Martha for a great recipe! I have definitely noticed that letting the batter stand for a few minutes really does impact the results in a great way, even with box mixes.
I love your tradition! And thanks for the education on syrup, I had no idea. Personally, I think I’d do butter and … more butter. with a drizzle of the syrup :)
Just finished Saturday morning blueberry pancake breakfast here. We may never go back to Bisquick again. Thanks!
Hi Julie! I’m so glad you tried them! We actually had pancakes this morning, too (and of course, we’ll have them tomorrow as well). I forgot to mention that the buttermilk really makes a difference. Sometimes I buy different brands, but the one I like best is from Clover. I think it results in the most flavorful and fluffy pancakes!
Oh, I have such a weakness for pancakes! And yours look absolutely perfect. I can see how light and fluffy they are – my favourite would be with bananas in the batter and maple syrup and butter on top, with a little lemon or orange juice.Mmmmmmmm…
Hi Denise! Okay, now I’m hungry for breakfast again…I love bananas in (or on) my pancakes, too! It goes so well with maple syrup :)
looks delicious! I’m going to make this for breakfast today.
Hi Raquel, hope you made the pancakes for breakfast today and enjoyed them!
Oh that picture is SO stunning! You can see the steam rising up! I want pancakes right now!
Thank you, Teanna!
Hi This is my 1st time here, I like to see your shot and also your delicious and yummy cooking. I will come more often to check what you are cooking for the next.
Welcome! Thank you for stopping by :)
We had buttermilk pancakes yesterday, also. I use the recipe that my mom made growing up but it turns out it is very similar to Martha’s. Thanks for the idea to individually freeze the pancakes.
Hi Kelsey – glad to know that you’ve got a similar recipe. I just love the buttermilk!
I freeze the extra pancakes too but then when Miss S wants a couple I just pop them in the toaster! So easy. I’m definitely going to try this recipe. I usually just stick with Trader Joe’s box mix (either buttermilk or pumpkin) but I’m all for trying something new :)
Hi Stephanie! I’m going to try the toaster tomorrow! I’ve always used the microwave, but I like the idea of the toaster better :)
Hi Liren, these look so good. And what a photo! You even got steam coming of those cakes.
Stella, you noticed the steam! I was so excited when I downloaded the shots!
You know how we love our pancake breakfasts here, although we usually have them on Saturdays. However, I have been using Bisquick pretty exclusively, admittedly intimidated by making my own batter “from scratch.” Your post has inspired me and I think we’ll try it this coming Saturday. I’ll let you know!
Hi Julie! Definitely try this recipe next weekend — it’s surprisingly simple. Another good thing is you can throw together the dry ingredients beforehand, so it’s ready whenever you need (and then you have some Bisquick-style ease! Good luck and let me know how you like it!
Oh, Sunday pancakes every Sunday would be wonderful! I love them but my husband prefers his hearty, savory eggs/sausage, so it’s a bit of shame to whip up a whole batch for just one person. Still, I indulge as often as possible. These Martha’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes are definitely a must-make!
Thanks for dropping by! I’ve been a long lurker of your blog :) I have to admit, whenever we do have our Sunday pancakes, it’s often followed up by a brunch-style lunch (usually omelletes). That way we get the best of both!
Thanks for sharing, Liren! We are a Sunday- pancake family (well, couple for now since Iz isn’t quite given pancakes yet) as well. I’ve always been happy with AJ’s Buttermilk, but this MS recipe sounds easy! And we are a Grade B maple syrup couple as well… For almost every trip my Canadian cousins make to NYC, I ask for a bottle or two :-).
Glad you agree on the Grade B maple syrup! Amazing what a difference it makes. You’re so lucky to have your own importers :)
I’ve been meaning to tell you that I LOVE this recipe. I’ve tossed out my box of AJ and traded it in for buttermilk! Thanks again for sharing!
Kristine, that makes me SO happy. Really! Who needs those boxes when you’ve got all the ingredients in your cupboard???