Buttermilk Pancakes

Overwhelmed over at Overwhelmed with Joy has started Five Ingredients Friday, and I thought I would contribute my favorite buttermilk pancakes. But then I realized that my pancakes have more than five ingredients. So I hope you will forgive my memory lapse, or my nonconformity, or whatever it should be called. These are still pretty simple.

Apologies to any readers using metric or scales. American cooking is strictly by volume measurements on the antiquated gallon system. If I ever move overseas, I will have to pack my measuring cups, or I won’t know how to cook.

Makes about ten 4-inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 Tablespoons oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
blueberries (optional)

The most important thing about making pancakes is the temperature of your pan or griddle. I cook with cast iron on a cheap electric stove, so my pans take a while to heat up. I turn the heat up to 3 on the burner before I even start making the batter. This gives it lots of time to reach a consistent temperature.

Mix all the ingredients together except blueberries. Stir until the lumps disappear. It should be a little thicker than cake batter. If it looks too thick, add a little water. Pour into pan 1/4 cup at a time. (If you want blueberry pancakes, press 4 or 5 blueberries into the pancake now. If you use frozen blueberries, you don’t need to thaw them; just rinse them well in warm water and use.) Cook until the center of the pancake gets small bubbles in it and the top starts to lose its shine. Flip pancake. Cook another minute or two. (I’m so sorry. I have never timed it exactly). Serve.

When we make the blueberry version, we serve the pancakes with whipped cream instead of syrup.

It’s a big hit at our house, with kids and husband. It earns me the coveted, “Ooooh, pancakes! You must love me.” Good luck to you.