Description
These are fluffy, tender, and flavorful pancakes made with a combination of baking soda and baking powder for lift, enriched with buttermilk and separated eggs for lightness. They are cooked on a griddle using bacon grease for a tasty, golden crust and kept warm in the oven before serving. Perfect for a comforting breakfast or brunch, topped with butter, syrup, or even peanut butter for an extra indulgent touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, melted and cooled)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk (whole milk recommended)
- 2 eggs (separated)
- bacon grease (for frying, butter works as alternative)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 170 degrees F, also known as the “keep warm” setting, to keep cooked pancakes warm while finishing the rest.
- Prepare Bowls: Get out three mixing bowls—large, medium, and small—to organize your ingredients and facilitate the mixing process.
- Melt Butter: Add the butter to the large bowl and microwave it until melted. Set aside to cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients Except Whites: Add the buttermilk and milk to the melted butter in the large bowl.
- Separate Eggs: Separate egg whites into the small bowl and yolks into the large bowl with wet ingredients. Whisk the yolks into the wet mixture thoroughly.
- Lightly Beat Egg Whites: Use a small whisk or fork to beat the egg whites for about 20 seconds until slightly bubbly. This helps with folding them in evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir roughly with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix; it’s okay if the batter is streaky with flour.
- Fold in Egg Whites: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter with care to maintain the airy texture. Some streaks of egg whites are fine.
- Heat Cooking Surface: Preheat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat until hot.
- Grease Griddle: Smear a little bacon grease over the griddle surface for flavor and to prevent sticking.
- Scoop Batter: Use a half cup measuring cup to scoop batter onto the hot griddle, forming individual pancakes.
- Cook and Flip: Cook pancakes until bubbles start popping on top, then flip carefully when the underside is golden brown.
- Finish Cooking: Cook for another 2-3 minutes until both sides are golden and pancakes are cooked through.
- Keep Warm: Transfer cooked pancakes to the oven rack set at 170°F to keep them warm as you cook the rest.
- Repeat: Continue cooking and keeping warm with remaining batter, ensuring consistent temperature and texture.
- Serve: Serve the pancakes warm with butter, syrup, or peanut butter for a delicious finish.
Notes
- Using both baking soda and baking powder ensures a nice rise and tender crumb.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep pancakes fluffy.
- Separating eggs and folding in the whites adds extra lightness to the texture.
- Bacon grease adds a savory note and helps create a golden crust but butter can be used as a substitute.
- Keeping pancakes warm in a low oven allows you to cook in batches without them becoming cold.
- Using a half cup for batter portions helps make evenly sized pancakes.
