Breakfast for dinner - homemade buttermilk pancakes

Last week, I made a cake that called for buttermilk (see the oh-so-creatively named "chocolate cake" recipe, below). After using one cup, I still had quite a bit left in the carton and wanted to use it before it went bad. Patrick and I love us some pancakes, and to me, Bisquick pancakes have always been "homemade enough." Not so much anymore. I don't know that I'll ever be able to look another Bisquick pancake in the eye again. Last night, I used the rest of the buttermilk on some as-close-as-they-come-to-Cracker-Barrel pancakes and don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to Bisquick. These are melt-in-your-mouth good.

This recipe uses butter (yes, in addition to buttermilk - this is not a healthy pancake), and I think the butter gives it that nice golden, crunchy crust. So tasty.

Buttermilk pancakes
From America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk*

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and then the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet (I use an electric griddle instead) over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Brush the pan bottom with 1 teaspoon oil. Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, add the batter to the skillet and cook until large bubbles begin to appear, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes, and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.

If you're not eating these immediately as they come off the skillet of griddle, you can keep them warm by putting them on a wire rack (on top of a baking sheet) in a 200 degree oven.

One note: I would recommend letting the buttermilk come to room temperature before adding to the egg/butter mixture. I didn't, and the buttermilk was straight-from-the-fridge cold and made the melted butter get lumpy. Not good. I think room temperature buttermilk would combat that issue. Also, to keep the pancakes as light and fluffy as possible, the key is to mix the batter minimally. Stop stirring the batter when there are still streaks of flour visible. Overmixing the batter develops the gluten, which turns pancakes tough.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can whisk 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice with two cups of milk in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.