Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes

Our foolproof recipe means it's easy to make fluffy pancakes at home.

Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4

Tall and fluffy buttermilk pancakes are the standard against which all other pancakes are measured. The acid in buttermilk kickstarts the baking soda leavener into action, creating extra height. It also helps to break down strands of gluten, for a tender crumb. This buttermilk pancake recipe was developed and tested by our ace team of culinary professionals (they tasted a lot of pancakes along the way before they perfected this recipe!) and has a secret ingredient: lemon juice, which gives the pancakes a fresh tang that’s lacking in modern buttermilk. The other surprising thing about this recipe is that you need to let the batter sit for 10 minutes after mixing. This rest allows the flour to absorb the liquid and lets the leavening distribute more evenly throughout the batter. 

buttermilk pancakes
Armando Rafael

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for serving

  • 1 teaspoon safflower oil

  • Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving

Directions

  1. Whisk dry ingredients:

    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until very well combined, about 30 seconds.

  2. Combine wet ingredients:

    In a large measuring cup, beat together buttermilk, lemon juice, eggs, and melted and cooled butter.

  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry:

    Make a well in dry ingredients; stir in wet mixture until lumpy and just combined. Let rest 10 minutes.

    Don’t overmix the pancakes—some lumps in the batter are good. If you stir the batter until it's smooth the pancakes won’t rise.

  4. Preheat oven, heat skillet:

    Preheat oven to 200°F and place a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack inside. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium; add oil, then wipe with a paper towel, leaving behind a thin film.

  5. Cook pancakes in batches:

    Working in batches, add heaping quarter-cups of batter to skillet, spreading lightly with the bottom of the cup. Cook until bubbles form on surface, edges have set, and undersides are golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

  6. Flip and finish cooking; keep warm while cooking more pancakes:

    Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer finished pancakes to oven to keep warm. Serve a tall stack with softened butter and maple syrup.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, May 2017
Updated by
Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer, senior food editor, MarthaStewart.com
Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.

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