I am no expert but I do know that the griddle must be very hot, almost all the way up but not quite. I also know to not over mix the batter. Some lumps are not a bad thing. I look forward to seeing what others have to say.

Try a boxed mix and see if it's the recipe you are using or your techniques.

Making a proper pancake was a skill I never mastered either. If I had an urge for pancakes, I resorted to my favorite diner......mine just never turned out the way I thought they should. All that changed with Covid - the diner option was out so if I wanted pancakes, I had to make my own.

I found a recipe for a 'single' serving batch that sounded good. I am a single person and a full batch would be wasted - pancake batter does NOT keep!! The recipe still makes more than I can eat (best for a twosome) but the cakes turn out nice and fluffy and tangy of buttermilk. Just the way I like them!

I also don't make burgers at home. There are two excellent burger joints nearby and their burgers are far better than my feeble attempts!! Plus, they come with fries!!

About 1 cup self rising flour (can be doubled or tripled.)

1 egg for every cup

1 Tablespoons oil for every cup

enough milk to make batter similar to cake batter can use dairy free milk

Stir with wisk, do not use mixer. You can start stirring and add milk as needed\

Do not over mix. As said above, some lumps are fine

While mixing put cast iron griddle or large fry pan on stove top and heat. Mine cooks best at medium high

Add very small amount of oil, spread over pan with basting brush

I use a soup ladle for one pancake, we like them dinner plate size.

Let cook until slightly dry around edges and you see lots of bubbles. Flip and let puff up.

Sometimes I have to add a small amount of oil when cooking a lot.

I like to butter as I take off the griddle

My not-quite is related. I make good, but not perfect, waffles. And I have an adjustable waffle iron. But lack of dedication to perfecting them is probably my issue. I like my pancakes—or did when I last made them. I'm better at crepes, and more likely to do them. I have thin, carbon steel, crepe pans in a few sizes, which work perfectly on the induction—instant responsiveness—and I use them for pancakes and eggs as well, though cousins, like dutch baby or clafoutis go in low sided, enamelled cast iron. I think the temperature and pan interaction matter a lot! But every combo of stove and pan/griddle is going to br different.

My father made the best pancakes with sour milk, but nowadays finding milk that will sour safely is hard. Yoghurt doesn't come out the same, nor does buttermilk, though it's the best runner up, but I think leben/labne might. I don't have my recipe here, but the basic Betty Crocker recipe is good. Pancakes need some fat, but too much makes them flat. Whisk the dry ingredients well and minimize the stir once wet—too much and you get tough pancakes (develop gluten). Work quickly or your baking powder/soda will discharge. In fact, before you start, test your BP by adding some to hot/boiling water, and your soda with a little buttermilk, or other kitchen acid. Lively is necessary for fluffy.

if you want individual servings, rather than dictating the amout of batter by the number of eggs, the original Kodiak Cakes mix was awesome. It's a 1:1 ratio mix to water. I haven't used it since I remodeled my kitchen, more than a dozen years ago, and they'd branched out, last time I noticed in a store, but I loved the concept, and they were good.

Mine is very flexible. That is the closest I can come to measuring. If the egg is big, more flour per egg. I use King Arthur flour if I can get self rising, Martha White if not. You want a soft spring wheat flour. I use a scoup and it is about one cup.

Pancakes, biscuits, and cornbread are made like my grandmother made them. It is all by looks and feel. No recipe.

The one scoup/one cup is what I use for two. It does make extra and they are good the next day. The three cup is for my husband and I and the two boys growing up and the three grands later. Husband likes Yellow label syrup and I and everyone else liked Log Cabin.

Keep a very light touch when mixing. Pancakes are like biscuits, if you overwork, they will be tough.

I've been making pancakes from scratch since I was a teenager but the recipe from Bette's Diner in Berkeley CA has been my recipe for the past 25 years. I think there's something to the combination of milk and buttermilk that makes them great. The original recipe says to let the batter rest for 5 minutes after mixing the dry ingredients into the wet, which I always do. The SF Gate article does not have that step but I included their link for the background about the diner and the pancakes. But the Recipe Circus recipe is the one I use.

I always make half a recipe. It makes about six 5' pancakes. Some years ago I started using oil in place of the butter and I notice no difference. Because of the melted butter, I got into the habit of letting the milk and egg come to room temperature--cold milk will solidify melted butter. I still do that even with the oil. I usually cut the sugar a bit too. I do not leave large lumps of flour that most recipes advise but I don't overmix it either. A couple of good whisks does it.

For waffles, increase the oil or butter by 1-2 tablespoons and beat an egg white until stiff. Fold the eqg white into the wet batter. You can also add malt powder (for half a recipe, 1 tbsp. added to flour mixture). I have an ancient GE waffle iron that makes square waffles in four sections. Half the batter will make two of these.

As for cooking the pancakes, the ideal is a cast iron pan or griddle. I don't have one so I usually make waffles. A few months ago I bought the Presto electric griddle so I could make pancakes and it's a game-changer. I have the Cool Touch model that is 18" long and it holds two pancakes. They also have a 10" long Liddle Griddle that would be perfect for one person.

http://recipecircus.com/recipes/Catgurrl/Breakfast-Brunch/Bette39s_Diner_Buttermilk_Pancakes.html

https://www.sfgate.com/cooking/article/bette-s-buttermilk-pancakes-rise-a-stack-above-2932530.php

One other tip--weigh your flour. I found that my measuring cup holds more than one cup. The batter is thick but that's what makes the pancake fluffy and not flat.

I cannot help with the pancakes, since I don't care for them. But an alternate solution to "Because of the melted butter, I got into the habit of letting the milk and egg come to room temperature--cold milk will solidify melted butter. " is to separate some or all of the eggs and whisk the butter with just the yolks first. Then you can mix everything together without the butter forming clumps, even if the ingredients are not at room temperature.

Because the five minutes prior to my deciding to make crepes is insufficient to getting ingredients to room temp. ;-)

I haven't made pancakes in over 40 years, but back in the day, I was in charge of Sunday pancakes for most of my early life. A mix from a box works just fine. Lumps are okay. And the griddle must be super hot. Don't waste batter with a ladle. Put the batter in a jug and pour out the pancakes. Watch for bubbles and don't burn them, but also don't serve them raw. Follow the instructions on the box and you can't go wrong.

I wait until most or all of the bubbles pop before turning. I've found that if I turn before that, it's underdone.

This is the recipe I use the most - you do not have to put fruit in them:

Fruit Pancakes makes 18-20 pancakes

blueberries, chopped bananas, or fruit of your choice

2 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 c. milk

2 c whole wheat flour (or 1/2 buckwheat, 1/2 ww, 1/2 ww, 1/2 unbleached, etc.)

2 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 ts. salt

3 Tbs. melted butter or veg oil

Blend eggs, butter & milk in a large bowl.

In another bowl, blend dry ingredients to liquid mixture.If it seems too thick, add more milk.

Drop in 3" circles on lightly greased, preheated griddle or cast iron pan. Add fruit as soon as batter is poured; sprinkle into freshly poured batter, then turn/flip when ready.

You know how to serve 'em = )

P.S.I understand most commercial pancake mixes have cornmeal/flour in them. Adding some finely ground cornmeal gives a really good flavor.

This is the recipe that I make most often, although I also make German apple pancakes, but those are quite a bit more work.

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/8 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vodka or brandy or Cognac

Cut the butter into small pieces or pats, put in a microwave safe cup, and microwave for 40 seconds, or melt over regular heat. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a medium sized bowl.

Beat the eggs slightly in a two-cup liquid measuring cup. Then add enough milk (this can be of any kind) with the vinegar and vodka to make the total liquid 1-1/3 cups. Add the melted butter while stirring constantly.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture, and blend until fairly smooth. You don’t have to get it complete smooth—don’t over mix. At this point, the mixture should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture is too thick, the pancakes will be heavy.

Carefully pour the batter onto an iron skillet that has been lightly greased and is on medium-high heat. When open bubbles on top appear (about 3 minutes), flip the pancakes to cook the other side for about 30 seconds.

Yield: about six pancakes, or 3-4 servings

*Note: You can use buttermilk instead of milk + vinegar, if you have it. You can also substitute up to 1/4 cup cream for part of the milk. The Vodka/Cognac makes the pancakes more tender.

My recipe came from here -- Marilyn (DanaIN) back in 2004.

They're excellent!!!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients. Add egg, oil, and buttermilk. Mix with electric hand mixer (or stir well by hand). Let sit for about 10 minutes before cooking. Pour by large spoonfuls, (approximately 1/4 cup) onto lightly oiled hot griddle (350°) and cook until top is bubbly. Carefully flip and continue cooking until done. These are very light.

Makes 7-8 (5 inch) pancakes.

@Judi, that is almost exactly the same as my recipe for the "single serving" batch. Although 7-8 cakes is more than a single serving for me, it does make wonderful light and fluffy pancakes with no fruit or weird extras necessary. I like mine very plain....butter only!

gardengal, my husband freezes the leftovers and reheats them in the toaster oven.

If you run across Krusteaz Pancake Mix, give it a try. I couldn't make a pancake that made me happy until I found this brand. They are so light and fluffy.

I found that my lack in making pancakes was considerably less when I used bacon grease, instead of butter. Which I would never use on fried eggs, for instance.

I have the perfect waffle recipe. It originated in the New York Times.

https://us.kiwilimon.com/recipe/breakfasts/waffles/easy-breakfast-waffles-new-york-times-recipe

@notdancin My mom’s partner uses Krusteaz for waffles and pancakes. He likes the name because of the clown character in the Simpsons.

I always use part cream when making waffles, and this makes waffles that melt in my mouth.

Adding vodka or cognac to pancake batter makes the pancakes much more tender.

I try to always fry eggs in bacon grease. :)

Pancakes are dead easy....basic is cup flour, Tablespoon sugar, one egg, 2 T melted butter 1 rounded teaspoon double acting baking powder....IMPORTANT.....double acting! pinch of salt, half teaspoon vanilla and milk to make a batter

Mix salt BP and flour....add melted to butter to half and mix....add the egg and about half a cup of milk...mix and add more milk to be as you like it......thinner batter makes a thinner pancake.

Your griddle should be hot enough that a few drops of water dance on it and don't sizzle and bubble, then pour your batter on and when bubbles break on the surface....lift a corner and peek to see if browned and if so flip. NEVER grease your griddle!

Easily varied by adding buttermilk and 1/2 tsp baking soda, or subbing WW flour for 1/3 of thew hite, or subbing 1/4 cup corn meal for same amount of flour...or sweetening with brown sugar, or adding cinnamon and apple sauce to the mix. Some swear by adding club soda for balf of the milk.

And I find that leftover batter keeps well in the refrig for a day or so.

I have been having a curiosity about what would happen if I poured popover batter onto a hot griddle.....hmmmmm?

Typically British - this is a simplified Jamie version of your pancakes. Why not try? LOL

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/pancakes-usa-stylie/

I never did care for pancakes. They are often just sweet white batter that is essentially fried in oil in a skillet.

I make waffles instead and I use whole wheat flour and a mix of toasted sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and some wheat germ.

I use

! cup of whole wheat

about 1/2 cup of mixed toasted seeds

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons of molasses or honey, or I just pour some in

1 egg

enough buttermilk to make a battter, about 1 cup plus a bit more as needed

I will make up waffles and put them in the fridge or freezer and pop them into the toaster oven for breakfast.

I dont care at all for pancakes as they are like eating dessert, with all the white flour and fat and syrup that seem to be popular All of that white sweet stuff is just unappealing to me. When I see people pouring syrup over them it makes me feel sick at the thought of eating all that sweet. I will bet the nutritional value of eating pancakes poured with syrup to be about the same as eating a doughnut, and I would much rather have a doughnut, but dont have those either.

I love a natural no added anything peanut butter on my waffles and maybe a light drizzle of black strap molasses, but just a bit. You gotta be careful with peanut butter, too. It can carry a high calorie load and it is easy to use too much.

if you want a fluffy pancake you might look for one that uses buttermilk and a pinch of baking soda. Buttermilk gives such a nice rise and texture to just about anything baked and it is all I ever use in baking anymore.

Just never did understand the appeal of pancakes, not even as a child.

My dad was a metal fabricator in the Air Force and he .made my mom a heavy steel griddle from a piece of retired WWII bomber. Lots of pancakes were cooked on there. It is about an inch thick solid steel!

I think that just about any pancake batter can be turned onto a waffle iron. It is more a matter of how it is baked than a different batter.

You shouldn't "fry" pancakes....they are dry cooked on a griddle....just like waffles without the indents!

The small amount of oil is only to regrease the cast irion.

I also brush oil on my waffle iron - if I do not, the waffles will stick. This is the case only with one waffle iron and not the other.

I do not always oil my griddle for pancakes, but sometimes I put a little butter on the griddle, and this improves the flavor of the pancakes. When making crêpes, I always butter the pan between crêpes. Nothing wrong with fried pancakes - I never add butter to them after they are cooked. I also make deep-fried French toast.

I don't normally make pancakes, but it's a must when the grandkids are here. They insist I do the Chachi show (their name for me). They are the audience and I am the star of my own show but I digress. I've tried many recipes, but keep coming back to Publix buttermilk pancake mix. They are so light and fluffy and there is never one left over. For the heck of it, I just might give it another go with Judi's recipe.

I always used to omit the sugar in pancakes but recently incuded it and realized that it helps with tenderness.

Powdered buttermilk is handy to have on hand— i used to sub yogurt or kefir but the buttermilk powder is better.

linda, I do realize that you dont actually fry pancakes, but depending on how much you oil your griddle or skillet it can get that little fried like ridge around it. I always cut that off, as a kid.

Lars, one possible reason that you are getting stuck waffles might be because the iron is not hot enough. I say this because I had this experience.

I started getting stuck waffles suddenly and had changed nothing about the batter. It was very frustrating. I tried oiling the iron a bit but that was of limited avail.

One day I plugged it in and realized that it was not very hot. So I assumed that it was an electrical problem and did the easiest and most simple thing of putting on a new plug. That was it! I have not had one stuck waffle since. The iron was simply not getting hot enough and it allowed the batter to stick. Been making waffles with it now for a number of years since.

judi, your recipe looks like a good basic guide. You could put the very same into a waffle iron or make pancakes. What is remarkable is how much buttermilk is needed in a batter. It is usually a measured amount that is at least equivalent of the same measure amount of flour, and usually a little more. Once the buttermilk hits the dry ingredients it begins to react and the batter will get thick. I let that happen and then adda a bit more buttermilk before I actually use the batter.

Buttermilk is great stuff for baking!!!

Is your batter pourable? Mine is not really pourable so I ladle it into the waffle iron. I find that, by the time I get a pourable batter with buttermilk, that it is too wet and likely to be quite dense. The same with buttermilk biscuits, in that, if I get too much buttermilk in them, they tend to spread out and flatten. Where as the right amount makes for a nicely risen biscuit.

I use the basic batter that is similar to your recipe. I call it the "one cup batter". I will use this very same and throw in some cheese and an extra egg and some chunked up vegetables and turn it into a large oiled skillet and it makes a nice vegetable pie. You can use a variety of vegetables. I do this a lot with summer squash, in the summer. I use the squash raw but would tend to cook cauliflower a bit and I will fry up some onions.

That basic batter is versatile.

Claudia, I'm not going to change the plug on my waffle iron - it is easier to just brush a tiny bit of oil on it. I don't see how changing the plug would change how hot the waffle iron gets. I think the problem is that the grates are not as nonstick as they should be, and I think that over time this might change.

I always stock powdered buttermilk and powdered cream. I put powdered cream in my smoothies, and it makes them taste like milkshakes.

Wow - thanks for all the ideas.

I will try another batch this weekend. I also have a one person household so small batch recipes are great for me. I have made waffles and froze the excess successfully. Perfect for for a quick meal. Pancakes not so much.

Maybe make the pancakes for your meal and with the excess you have left over, make some waffles and then you can freeze those for later.

Here's a poll I started on waffles and pancakes. You can still vote on which you prefer, in case you have not already. So far, 9% don't like either, and waffles have a like edge over pancakes. My vote was that I liked both equally.

I've been storing excess pancakes and waffles in the refrigerator because I do not have room in my freezer, and I use them in at least a couple of days or so. To reheat them, I spritz them with water and put them in the toaster oven at 225° for about 5 minutes.