Did we Make the Perfect Pancake?

The Secret to Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
We’ve cracked the code to the ultimate stack of pancakes—crispy-edged, fluffy, tender, and golden brown every time. No more “testers for the dogs,” just perfect results from the first pour.

Recipe:
• 100 g eggs (2 large)
• 250 g full-fat buttermilk
• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 35 g sugar
• 25 g buttermilk powder (optional)
• 15 g baking powder
• 5 g kosher salt (1 ¼ tsp)
• 70 g unsalted butter

We tested three styles so you can find your perfect pancake:
– Thin: Extra buttermilk + less baking powder = tender crumb, crispier edges, and a batter that doubles as blini.

– Classic: Fluffy, tender, buttery—balanced lift from baking powder and eggs.

– Ultra-Fluffy: More flour + baking powder for tall, airy stacks without density.

All cook best at 320°F (160°C) in a nonstick or cast-iron pan for golden, even browning.

Key Tips:
– Use the right pan to control browning.
– Dial in the perfect pan temperature for golden surfaces, not burnt edges.
– Adjust ingredient ratios to tweak tenderness and flavor.

Once you’ve got the technique down, you’ll turn out diner-worthy pancakes—only better—every single time.

Full method + step-by-step guide:
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/five-chefs-five-pancakes

We’re going to go after the perfect buttermilk pancake. Not just the formula. We’re going to dig into which pan to use. Every degree of temperature to get the exact golden you want. All three of the formulas have identical ingredients, just different ratios. The big key difference is how much baking powder there is in them. The baking powder is what fluffs it. The buttermilk is what reacts with the baking powder. I’ve got one that’s really fluffy, one that’s a little bit flatter, and one that’s in between. I’m going to cook all of them the same temperature, 320. I’m going to start with the flatter one. And this is the flattest one. Tada. My favorite pancake of the pancake parametric. I’m going to make the fluffy one. Woah. The same recipe, slightly different formula. It’s what pan you cook it in and what temperature as well. Got a bunch of pans. I’m going to cook the exact same formula. I’m going to cook it in every different pan. And you’re going to see how it looks a little bit different depending on what pan you have. I’ve never cooked so many pancakes in so many different places. Every pan surface has like a different surface tension depending on how smooth, polished, grippy it is. I’ve never cooked a pancake on ceramic, like a matte color to it. This one, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I think it’s going to work. It’s going to work. Which one looks the best to me? I really like this one. I thought some of them were going to stick, maybe scorch, but I’m pleasantly surprised. This formula works pretty well across all the different pans. Got my formula. I’ve got my pan. Now, I’m going to dial in my temperature. Heat is more about the dness and how quickly a pancake cooks. The temperature is what determines the color. I’m going to do here is cook our really amazing fluffy pancake formula. Three different temperatures. I’ve got the control freak home here. I can choose the exact temperature and heat. I always thought pancakes were like fast cooking food until we had to cook hundreds of them in one day. They feel like they take forever. It’s beautiful. This pancake I’m going to cook lower. We’re going to have a pancake, but it’s going to be barely brown. This pancake’s been cooking forever, but we’re here. Look at that. That’s the palest pancake ever. All right, check it out. No color. I’m going to cook one more pancake. 440. That is a hot pan. I think this is another example of like cranking up the heat. Doesn’t cook your pancake faster. It just burns them faster. Right off the bat, I’ve got this darker color coming. And that’s when it starts to go from like mayard and caramelization to these carbon chemical reactions. Same formula, same pan, different temperature. 230°, 320°, 440°. If you go too hot, you’re going to burn. You’re still going to have like a raw pancake. You’re going to have that scorchy flavor. And then if you go too low, you’re just going be waiting around all day and it’s not going to have any flavor at all. We’ve been on a pancake journey. I have my favorite formula, my favorite pan, and my favorite temperature. This is everything I’ve been wanting in a pancake. It’s super super fluffy. I like crisp on the outside, too. The flavors insane. You can’t go around here.