Old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, made with what was left in the churn and mixed while the griddle heats.
Buttermilk was never purchased in an Island farmhouse. It was what remained after butter had been churned, too valuable to pour out and too sharp to drink plainly. A cook who churned regularly always had some on hand, and a griddle of pancakes was the simplest way to put it to use.
They required no rising time, no waiting on yeast, only a hot griddle and a batter mixed quickly while the stove came to temperature. On a busy spring morning, with chores waiting and the day already stretching ahead, that mattered a great deal.
Served with butter and whatever preserve remained from the summer before, they were unhurried food for a season that otherwise allowed for very little of it.
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes
MAKES
12 to 14 pancakes
OVEN
No oven. Griddle over medium heat
TIME
About 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter together.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined. Small lumps are acceptable.
- Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Butter lightly.
- Pour batter in ¼-cup portions onto the griddle.
- Cook until bubbles form across the surface and edges look set, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden on both sides.
- Keep finished pancakes warm while cooking the remaining batter.
Where old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes come from
Buttermilk was a byproduct of regular home butter-churning, common in nearly every Island farmhouse. Rather than waste it, cooks incorporated it into breads, biscuits, and griddle cakes, where its acidity reacted with baking soda to produce a notably light texture.
Pancakes required no special equipment beyond a hot griddle, making them practical fare for a busy morning. They belonged to no particular occasion, merely to whatever day called for a quick, warm breakfast.
In a modern kitchen
If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 2 cups milk mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar, left to stand 5 minutes before using.
Batter may be made the night before and refrigerated, though pancakes will be slightly denser.
Keep the griddle at a steady medium heat. If it runs too hot, the outside browns before the center cooks through.
How long it keeps
- Cool room: Eat at once
- Refrigerated: Batter, overnight. The batter may be made the night before, though the pancakes will be slightly denser.
- Frozen: 1 month
Struggling to read an old recipe?
How to Read an Old Recipe translates the vague bits: old measures converted, oven descriptions in real degrees, and the instructions that leave something out. Free, two printable pages.
This recipe is one of forty-seven in The Green Gables Kitchen Companion, arranged across four seasons of a Prince Edward Island year. Everything on this site is written the same way it appears in the book.