Perfect Pancakes with Baking Soda for Fluffy Results
For tall, fluffy pancakes, pair baking soda with buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda, making bubbles and taking the edge off the tang. This recipe uses 1 tsp baking soda plus 1 tsp baking powder for 250 g flour and 480 ml buttermilk, and makes about 12 pancakes in 25 minutes.
Ingredients (about 12 pancakes, 10 cm across)
- 250 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 480 ml (2 cups) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 45 g (3 tbsp) butter, melted, plus extra for the pan
No buttermilk? Stir 2 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 480 ml milk and leave it for 5 minutes.
Method
- Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs and melted butter) in a jug.
- Combine gently. Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir with a fork or spatula until just combined. Lumps are good. Overmixing makes tough, flat pancakes.
- Rest for 5 minutes while the pan heats. You will see bubbles forming as the soda reacts.
- Cook. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and brush it lightly with butter. Pour in about 60 ml (¼ cup) batter per pancake.
- Flip when bubbles pop on the surface and the edges look dry, after about 2 minutes. Cook for 1–2 minutes more until golden.
- Keep warm on a tray in a 90°C / 200°F oven while you cook the rest.
Why use both soda and powder?
| Leavener | Its job in pancakes |
|---|---|
| Baking soda | Reacts with the buttermilk for fast bubbles, softens the tang and helps them brown |
| Baking powder | Releases more gas from the heat of the pan, for extra height |
Using only baking soda works too, but the pancakes will be a little flatter. Using only baking powder (about 1 tbsp) with buttermilk makes them tall, but tangier and paler.
Pancake troubleshooting
- Flat and dense: overmixed batter, old leavener, or batter left standing for over 30 minutes.
- Soapy, metallic taste or dark spots: too much soda, or soda that was not whisked evenly into the flour.
- Burnt outside, raw inside: the pan is too hot. Lower it to medium or medium-low.
- Pale and greasy: the pan is not hot enough, or there is too much butter in it. Wipe out the excess with paper towel.
Mix the dry ingredients the night before. In the morning, whisk in the wet ingredients and cook straight away. Do not make the whole batter the night before, because the soda will have used up its lift by morning.
Storing and reheating
Cool the pancakes on a rack, then refrigerate them for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 2 months, with baking paper between the layers. Reheat them in a toaster, or in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes.
Related: 15 recipes that call for baking soda, is your baking soda still good?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as the batter has an acid such as buttermilk or yogurt. Use about ½ tsp per 125 g of flour.
Usually overmixing, old baking soda, or no acid in the batter. Stir just until combined and use buttermilk.
Rest it for 5–10 minutes at most when it contains baking soda. A longer rest lets the bubbles escape.