August 1, 2009
After making this easy pancake recipe, you will never use a store bought mix again. This recipe originated from a chef friend of mine, Maili Brocke. Her recipe was delicious, but it used spices that, at the time, I was not sure about for my, then, toddlers. I was curious to try the pancakes with whole grain flour, which turned out to be, not only healthier, but delicious as well. The kids love them so much, they do not even use syrup!
The tang of the buttermilk, and the nuttiness of the white whole wheat flour gives the pancakes great depth of flavor. Buttermilk lasts a long time in the fridge so it’s worth buying as a regular kitchen staple. You will find that you use it for so many different things when you have it on hand… just don’t forget to shake it up before use. To avoid lumpy batter, add a small amount of the wet ingredients to all of the dry, mix that together, and then add the rest of the wet ingredients to the “paste.” I actually double or triple the dry ingredients of this recipe and keep the extra mix in my pantry in a large glass mason jar. I scoop one cup of the mixture with 1 cup of the buttermilk and two eggs. These proportions yield just the right amount of cakes for the children and me in the morning. If you’re making pancakes for a larger group, then stick with the recipe below.
Healthier Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
Heat your griddle on medium heat. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk first to the dry ingredients and mix, then add the rest of the milk and the eggs and whisk again. Batter should be on the thicker side. Butter griddle and pour. Cook until golden. Try to flip just once (it’s easy to peek at the underside with a good spatula to check the color) and resist temptation to pat down the cake as it cooks.
