Why it works: Flour and buttermilk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
USDA Buttermilk Toaster Pancakes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Preheat the griddle.
Beat the eggs with brown sugar until very light, about 2 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients and stir them gently into the beaten eggs.
Add the buttermilk and oil. Stir only until mixed; the batter will be lumpy.
Cook the pancakes
For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle.
Cook until the surface is covered with bubbles, then turn and cook the other side until light brown.
Cool the pancakes on a rack.
Freeze and reheat
Place the pancakes in an airtight container with wax paper between layers, or wrap singly in foil.
Label and store the pancakes in the freezer.
To reheat in a toaster, remove the pancakes from the freezer and unwrap them to be reheated.
Set the toaster on a medium-low setting. Toast the pancakes, twice if necessary, to heat through.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Beaten to trap air, giving the pancakes a light, airy structure as they set.
- Flour
- Provides the starch and gluten network that sets the pancake structure once heated.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when heated, causing the batter to rise and become fluffy.
- Buttermilk
- Adds moisture and tang, and its acidity helps the batter rise and brown.
- Vegetable oil
- Adds fat for tenderness and moisture, keeping the pancakes from drying out.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and molasses flavour, and helps the surface brown during cooking.
The step that matters
Stir only until mixed. Overmixing develops too much gluten in the flour, which makes pancakes tough and chewy. A lumpy batter is expected and keeps them tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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