Light and Fluffy Pancakes

By Heather Hartman

(Adapted from Cooks’ Illustrated)

Serves 4-6

Note: If you don’t have any buttermilk, mix 1½ cups of room temperature milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice and let it stand for five minutes. Substitute this “clabbered milk” for the buttermilk and the ½ cup of milk in this recipe. Since this milk mixture is not as thick as buttermilk, the batter and resulting pancakes will not be as thick.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• ½ cup milk (plus an extra tablespoon or so if batter is too thick)
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• vegetable oil (for brushing griddle)

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Whisk in egg white; mix yolk with melted butter, then stir into milk mixture. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed.

Meanwhile, heat griddle or large skillet over strong medium-high heat. Brush griddle generously with oil. When water splashed on surface confidently sizzles, pour batter, about ¼ cup at a time, onto griddle, making sure not to overcrowd. When pancake bottoms are brown and top surface starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip cakes and cook until remaining side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Re-oil the skillet and repeat for the next batch of pancakes.

If making a large batch, have the oven on at 250 degrees, and a have a sheet tray in oven. Place cooked pancakes in oven to keep warm before serving.