andrejthechef
USAPancakesBreakfast

Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Bacon

Fluffy diner-style buttermilk pancakes with butter, warm maple syrup and oven-crisp bacon. Lumpy batter, a short rest and a medium griddle do the work.

prep
15 min
cook
25 min
total
40 min
serves
4
level
easy
A stack of three golden buttermilk pancakes topped with a pat of butter and maple syrup, with two strips of crisp bacon on a white diner plate

A stack of buttermilk pancakes with butter, maple syrup and a side of bacon is the standard American diner breakfast, eaten on weekends at home and any morning at the counter. The buttermilk gives the pancakes a faint tang that balances the syrup, and the baking soda reacting with it makes them rise tall and tender.

What decides the result is restraint. Stir the batter only until the flour disappears and leave the lumps, then let it rest ten minutes so the flour hydrates and the bubbles start. Cook on a medium griddle, flip once, and never press the pancake down with the spatula.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Bacon is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lay the bacon in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until deep red-brown and crisp at the edges. Drain on paper towels and turn the oven down to 90°C (200°F) to keep the pancakes warm.

  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl so the leaveners are evenly spread.

  3. In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and the melted butter until smooth. If the butter is hot it will scramble the eggs, so let it cool for a minute first.

  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula for about 10 strokes, just until no dry flour is visible. The batter should be thick and lumpy. Let it rest for 10 minutes; it will thicken and show small bubbles.

  5. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat, about 190°C (375°F), and brush it lightly with butter. A drop of water should skitter and evaporate within a couple of seconds.

  6. Ladle about 1/3 cup (80 ml) of batter per pancake, leaving room to spread. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles break across the surface and leave holes, and the edges look dry. Flip once and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden and springy to the touch.

  7. Keep the finished pancakes on a rack in the warm oven while you cook the rest, buttering the pan between batches. Stack three per plate, add a pat of butter, pour over warm syrup and serve with the bacon.

chef's tips

  • No buttermilk? Stir 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 480 ml of whole milk and let it stand 10 minutes. The result is a little thinner, so add a spoonful more flour if the batter pours like cream.
  • If the first pancake is pale and flat or burns before the middle sets, adjust the heat before the next batch. The first one is the test.
  • Pancakes freeze well. Cool them on a rack, freeze in a single layer, then bag them and reheat in a toaster straight from frozen.