Don't Skip This One Crucial Step If You Want The Absolute Best Pancakes

A fresh stack of light and fluffy pancakes drizzled with golden maple syrup is the epitome of a classic Sunday morning breakfast. While these fluffy rounds are pretty straight-forward to make, everyone makes mistakes when making pancakes — whether it's setting the heat too high or over-mixing the batter. To understand the one crucial step that can't be skipped when making pancakes, Food Republic turned to Rose Sioson, the at-home chef, recipe developer, and photographer for her food blog, Deliciously Rushed. According to Sioson, who has her own McDonald's Copycat Pancake Recipe, the key is resting the batter for up to 30 minutes before cooking.

"Resting the batter relaxes the gluten and lets the flour fully hydrate," she explained. "This means softer, more tender pancakes instead of tough, chewy ones. Plus, during the rest, the baking powder starts doing its magic, creating tiny air bubbles that make your pancakes even fluffier when they hit the griddle." Not only does this resting create air bubbles, but it allows them to distribute throughout the batter, ensuring an even rise in your pancakes. "If you've ever noticed that your second or third batch of pancakes turns out better than the first, this is why!" Sioson noted.

While a slow, leisurely morning sounds ideal, most mornings are a race against the clock — and waiting 30 minutes for your pancake batter to rest may not be an option. Luckily, Sioson offers ideas to achieve the perfect pancakes without the wait. One easy fix is using buttermilk, she explained, as "the acidity helps tenderize the gluten quickly, so you can get away with skipping the rest time." No buttermilk? Warm eggs and warm milk work, too. "You'll notice it bubbles almost instantly and mimics the effects of resting your batter," Sioson said. If you can spare a few extra minutes, separating and whipping your egg whites could also make the difference between flat and fluffy. According to Sioson, "folding in beaten egg whites at the end can give you that light, airy texture without the wait." 

Perfect pancake batter is only half the battle, however. If you don't cook your pancakes correctly, you could still end up with a burnt, crumbly mess. Before adding the batter to your pan, it's important to preheat it on medium, then lower to a low-medium heat before cooking to avoid burning — and don't forget to add butter. After a few minutes, the pancakes should be about two-thirds done when you go to flip using a thin plastic spatula, or use this pan hack to become a pancake-flipping master. When they're ready, cool on a wire rack rather than stacking to avoid pancakes sticking or becoming soggy.