Diner-Style Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1.25 tsp baking powder
• 1.25 tsp baking soda
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1.75 cups buttermilk
• 0.5 cup cold seltzer water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Method

Diner pancakes hinge on two things: keeping your batter cold and working fast. The seltzer water is there to stay, not to add fizz — it's a substitute for some of the buttermilk that keeps the batter loose without making it too wet. Cold batter and a hot pan create the aeration you need, trapping steam in the crumb before the proteins set. Warm batter spreads thin and gives you pale, dense discs.

Combine 280g flour, 40g caster sugar, 6g baking powder, 6g bicarbonate of soda, and 7g kosher salt in a bowl. Whisk to break up any clusters — baking powder clumps burn easily. In a separate bowl, crack two large eggs and beat them lightly, then add 425ml buttermilk, 120ml cold seltzer water, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 45ml melted butter. The cold seltzer matters; if yours has warmed to room temperature, use cold water instead. Don't overthink the mixing — fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb. A few streaks of flour are acceptable. Let the batter rest for five minutes; the baking powder and baking-soda will begin working.

Heat a cast-iron-pan or heavy griddle over a medium-high flame for three minutes. The surface should be hot enough that a drop of water beads and rolls across it, not evaporates instantly — that's too hot and will scorch the bottom before the inside cooks through. Wipe the pan with a small amount of butter or oil. Pour 120ml batter onto the griddle; it should sizzle immediately and spread to roughly 15cm diameter. Watch the top surface. When the edges look set and you see small bubbles breaking through the surface — roughly 90 seconds in — the proteins have begun setting and the underside is golden. Flip once and cook for another 60–90 seconds until the second side is light brown and the pancake springs back gently when pressed.

Serve immediately onto warm plates. If you're cooking in batches, hold finished pancakes in a 120°C oven for no more than 10 minutes; beyond that, they dry out. The buttermilk and seltzer combination keeps these light and tender even when held briefly. Serve with cold butter and warm maple syrup or jam.