How to make pancakes from scratch?

Pancakes from Scratch — Standard Recipe

Yield: ~8 pancakes (4-inch) | Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Dry:
  • 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
  • ¼ tsp salt
• Wet:
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp melted butter (or neutral oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients — Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients — In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Mix — Pour wet into dry. Stir until just combined. Small lumps are correct; do not overmix (overmixing develops gluten and yields tough, dense pancakes).
4. Rest — Let batter sit 5–10 minutes to hydrate the flour and activate the leavening.
5. Heat pan — Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (~375°F / 190°C). Lightly grease with butter or oil.
6. Cook — Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake. Cook 2–3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and edges look set.
7. Flip once — Turn and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden brown. Do not press down with the spatula (deflates the pancake).
8. Serve — Warm, with syrup, butter, or fruit.

Key Tips

• First pancake is a heat test — adjust temperature before continuing.
• If the pan smokes, heat is too high; if the pancake doesn’t brown in 3 minutes, too low.
• Buttermilk variant: Replace milk with 1¼ cups milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar; let stand 5 minutes. Reduce baking powder to 2 tsp and add ½ tsp baking soda.
• Storage: Refrigerate cooked pancakes 2–3 days or freeze up to 2 months; reheat in a toaster.