Classic Buttermilk Pancakes - Paula Deen (2024)

FAQs

How to make homemade pancakes Paula Deen? ›

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter for each pancake onto the griddle. Cook until the edges start to set and the pancakes are golden-brown underneath.

Making pancake and waffle batter ahead of time is a huge no-no and will lead to flat, dense results every time. Even letting your batter hang out for just a few minutes after you've mixed it before you start ladling it onto the griddle will lead to less fluffy results.

But what exactly is it about buttermilk that makes pancakes so good? Flavor is the obvious perk: The cultured dairy adds tangy complexity and nuance to an otherwise neutral batter. But there are unique textural benefits, too, that make buttermilk worth seeking out and keeping on hand if you're a pancake person.

3. Let The Batter Rest While The Griddle Heats. After mixing your pancake batter, exercise a bit of patience – let it rest for about two minutes. This seemingly small step is a game-changer, allowing the leavening to kick in to create fluffy pancakes.

Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes. When you don't add enough eggs, the cakes will be drier and tougher.

Baking powder (double acting) provides two rises: The first occurs when the baking powder comes into contact with a liquid, the second when it's exposed to heat. Too much baking powder will create a very puffy pancake with a chalky taste, while too little will make it flat and limp.

Restaurants use better quality ingredients

Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with a waffle iron or griddle that's already hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.

However, it's not as tasty as you think, as they add small objects (after they've been thoroughly cleaned of course) such as buttons, rings, and coins. Each object has a special meaning, for example, if you find a shiny coin in your pancake, you're deemed very lucky and will end up rich!

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

To Store: Keep leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or in the toaster oven. To Freeze: After cooking homemade buttermilk pancakes, lay them in a single layer on a large baking tray and place them in the freezer.

Should you use milk or water for pancakes? ›

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter, so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

When cooked, the chemical leaveners (the baking powder and baking soda) in the pancakes created large air bubbles. The loose gluten network captured the air bubbles and maintained the each pancake's shape while still keeping it fluffy with air.