Fluffy Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Fluffy Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
{ pancake day }

I received my Canyon Ranch cookbook as a gift from either my mom or sister, back in early 2000. I love it. It’s the cookbook that introduced me to the power of bread flour + whole wheat flour in baking. I like things that taste good…so this actually isn’t inspired by health or being virtuous, it’s all about taste. I’ve been making this whole wheat buttermilk pancakes recipe for well over a decade for a number of reasons. First, it’s super quick and easy. No folding eggs whites into the batter nor are we using yeast starters or any rubbish like that. We’re shuffling out of bed, teeth unbrushed and making pancakes. In under an hour. Because sometimes we need pancakes. Especially mid-week. Such as today. Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday…otherwise known as Pancake Day.

I went through a period several months back when I thought there might be a bigger, better pancake out there. Throughout the weeks I was serving up stacks. How are these?, I’d query. The response was always the same. Can you make pancakes like you used to? 

I’ve made some minor adjustments to the quantities of ingredients, but the core is pretty much the same as the original Canyon Ranch recipe. I’ve made these with milk + vinegar in place of buttermilk, I’ve replaced the buttermilk with kefir and almond milk, I’ve used regular flour, replaced all flour with gluten-free flour (always Cup4Cup) and I’ve replaced the oil with melted butter. All worked and yielded something that was a healthy, second-cousin to the original.

When I woke Stella up this morning I said: do you know what today is? She smiled. Pancake Day.

Let your inner glutton fly today folks. Let her fly.

fluffy whole wheat buttermilk pancakes

Makes about 15-20 Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup bread flour
• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour (I use King Arthur…if you don’t get the ‘white’ whole wheat the consistency will be a wee different, but still delicious)
• 3 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 3/4 cup milk (I usually use low fat…nonfat works fine as well)
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For serving: More real maple syrup, butter (for serving and for the pan), powdered sugar, blueberries…the usual suspects.

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, white whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, egg, oil and maple syrup.
• Dump the flour mixture into the milk mixture and whisk until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. That’s fine. Now let it sit there for a couple of minutes to thicken a bit.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. I prefer my stainless to cast iron here. I spray it well with nonstick and then I add a pat of butter to the pan and swirl it around. When it’s nice and melted, it’s time to test.
• Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan. We’re making our tester pancake. As soon as bubbles start to form and then pop, it’s time to flip. I always cook the second side for about half the amount of time as the first, so maybe 1-2 minutes. If the pan isn’t hot enough, turn it up just a hair. At the right temperature, the pancakes will get the perfect golden color and fluffy rise. If it’s not warm enough, they will spread and become thin. *Recipe Note: This is a thick pancake batter. I use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the batter into the pre-heated pan and then use the back of the cup to gently nudge it into a circle shape.
• Finish with the remaining batter, adding more butter as you go and adjusting the heat so that it is neither too hot nor too low.
• They cook up pretty fast, so I don’t feel like you need to do the whole put-them-in-the-oven thing. If you’re so inclined, an oven at low heat, say 200 degrees F and a baking sheet in which to put them in a single layer, should do the trick. Just don’t leave them in there for long as they’ll dry out.
• Enjoy your day! xo

{ on my mind }

• So far this month on DH: these Loaded Aloha Cookies (I think I’ve eaten my body weight in these cookies), this Datil Chicken, Chinese Buns (still Chinese New Year!) and on the eve of this month, I posted these Blood Orange Scones.
• I was mighty flattered and grateful of this. Thank you Leslie!
• More bread flour + white whole-wheat flour recipes: Loaded Aloha Cookies, Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Salted Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies, Dark Chocolate + Tart Cherry Oatmeal Cookies… All of my cookies use bread flour…if I can convince you to stock your cupboards with it I’ll feel accomplished.
• It’s going to be in the 80s today. Yesterday I draped bulb lights around the trellis and we put up my daughter’s volleyball net. She was wearing a bikini. Dónde está El Niño? It feels like summer. I noticed my Pink Lady tree is blooming. What’s happening!?!?!?
• My favorite waffle recipe is here. Big. Beefy. Waffles.
• Some French Toast if you’re feeling it.
• Imagine if this was your Starbucks experience.
• Read this. Think about it. Discuss.
• I know I had more to say…another day.
• Peace. xoxo

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