Getting the height and lightness of traditional pancakes with the more robust flavor and texture of cornmeal pancakes is tougher than it seems. Coarsely ground cornmeal can be sandy, and lacks the gluten necessary to support a fluffy internal structure. We found that we could use more cornmeal without getting too much grit by heating it with some of the buttermilk to soften it. Soaking the cornmeal also thickened the batter, helping it ride higher in the pan instead of spreading out. Letting the batter sit for a few minutes before griddling the cakes allowed the buttermilk to react with the baking soda, making the batter foamy, which resulted in fluffier, airier pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups buttermilk
- 1¼ cups cornmeal - (6 1/4 ounces/177 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour - (3¾ ounces/106 grams)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven.
Soften the cornmeal:
- Whisk 1¼ cups of buttermilk and the cornmeal together in a medium bowl.
- Stir in the butter, cover, and microwave until slightly thickened around edges, 60 to 90 seconds, stirring once halfway through cooking.
- Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Make the batter:
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Beat the eggs and the remaining ½ cup buttermilk together in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup.
- Whisk the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture.
- Whisk the cornmeal mixture into the flour mixture.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
Cook and serve:
- Heat ½ teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering.
- Using paper towels, carefully wipe out the excess oil, leaving a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
- Using a level ¼-cup measure, scoop 3 pancakes into the pan.
- Cook until the edges are set and bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Flip, then cook until the second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet in the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Serve.