It is Sunday and time for more pancakes. I wanted to make the pancakes I made several weeks ago but didn’t blog about. I remembered that they had sour cream but completely forgot buttermilk was also in the recipe. There was no way that I was going to run to the store this morning so I tried the ’emergency substitution’ recipe for buttermilk – combine 1 cup of 1% milk with a 1 TBS of white vinegar or lemon juice. I decided to use white vinegar and it worked fine. You do need to remember to put the tablespoon of vinegar in a cup first and then add milk to make 1 cup. Let it stand for about 5 minutes and it will slightly curdle. The main thing was to make certain the batter had enough acid for the two leavening agents the recipe called for – baking soda and baking powder.

I love this recipe. The pancakes are thick, fluffy and very tender. The thickness and fluffy texture comes from both the buttermilk and sour cream while the sugar adds to the tenderness and flavor. I don’t use the full amount of vanilla – just a few drops.

It is very easy to make. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the wet. Combine until all the flour is mixed in but not too much. I left it lumpy.

One thing I did learn this time was to not try to make these too big. I usually use about 1/3 cup of batter. I made one with about 1/2 cup and it was not only difficult to turn but also ended up with one side a little raw. Stick with using 1/3 cup of batter and I shake the pan a little bit to even the batter. I usually cook them until the top edges are dry and bubbles start to break in the middle of the batter.

I recommend cutting the recipe below in 1/2 but even then it will make 5-6 large thick pancakes so make certain you are hungry.

Buttermilk Pancakes
Bon Appétit | March 1999
Yield: Makes about 18

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups sour cream
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until batter is just blended but still lumpy (do not overmix).

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter on griddle over medium heat. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle, spacing 2 inches apart. Cook until bubbles break on surface, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over. Cook until bottoms are golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to skillet as needed.

Serve pancakes immediately with butter and Blueberry Compote.