Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancake Mix

Why This Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancake Mix Works

As the dry and wet bowls come together, the baking powder and baking soda start reacting with the buttermilk right away. Tiny bubbles form in the batter, even before it hits the pan. Those bubbles stay trapped inside the mix of all-purpose flour and buckwheat flour, so the pancakes puff instead of lying flat and dense. Stirring only until things are just mixed keeps those bubbles from popping and keeps the gluten in the all-purpose flour from getting tough.

Once the batter hits the hot skillet, the outside sets around those bubbles. The pancakes rise as the gas from the baking powder and soda expands in the heat. At the same time, the eggs firm up and hold everything in place, so the pancakes don’t fall apart when flipped. Melted butter and buttermilk keep the inside moist while the surface browns, so the pancakes end up fluffy in the middle with a light, crisp edge.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overmixing the batter after the wet ingredients go into the dry can make the pancakes tough and chewy. The gluten in the all-purpose flour tightens up when it’s stirred too much, so instead of soft, fluffy pancakes, they cook up flat and a bit rubbery.

Pouring the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients while the melted butter is still very hot often causes tiny cooked egg bits. The hot fat can partially scramble the eggs, so the batter ends up with little firm pieces that show up as odd, rubbery spots in the finished pancakes.

Cooking on heat that’s too high makes the outside brown fast while the inside stays undercooked and pasty. The pancakes look done after a short time, but when cut open they can be wet in the center and dry around the edges.

Letting the batter sit for a long time before cooking can cause the baking powder and baking soda to lose strength. The pancakes then rise less in the pan and turn out dense and heavy instead of light.