Just About the Best Pancakes Ever

I have a lot of feelings about pancakes, you guys. I love 'em plain, I love 'em with fancy toppings, I love 'em sweet or savory (helloooo, potato pancakes), and whether classic and cakey or hearty and dense, my heart has got space for them all. With all of the wonderful ways there are to pancake, I simply cannot abide bad ones. Luckily, this recipe is a fantastic jumping off point! This is the basic recipe, and you can add fruit, chocolate, coconut, and any other mix-ins you might want as your heart desires! This time around I added blueberries to the batter and topped them with peaches. But rest assured, they're also delicious as is, with no other garnish but some good, dark maple syrup. Enjoy!

Classic Pancakes

makes about a dozen pancakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp and 1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (other oils will work, but I highly recommend olive)

2 1/2 cups warm water

(optional: 1/2-3/4 cup total of mix-ins, like blueberries, sliced bananas, chocolate)

1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the oil and water. Mix with a fork until JUST blended, and don't worry about any small lumps of flour.

2. Let the batter sit and rest for 10 minutes, during which you can heat your pan or skillet. The type of stovetop, type of pan or skillet, and general temperature of all your ingredients all affect how hot your pan should be, so start off on medium and adjust as needed. You don't want your pancakes to take forever and a day to cook but you also don't want them to burn while you wait to flip.

3. Use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop and pour the batter. Try to work the batter as little as possible, as that's how you end up with tough pancakes, blech.

4. Cook long enough for the sides to be solidly cooked and for fairly firm bubbles to have formed all the way into the center of the cakes.

5. As you cook, keep the finished pancakes on an oven safe dish in a warmed oven, 180-200F.

6. Top with whatever you like (though please, please love yourself enough to use real maple syrup, I beg of you), and try not to eat until you burst, as is the perpetual pancake struggle.

Happy eating!