"Chris Nelson" > wrote in message
...
> I grew up on my grandmother's buttermilk pancakes. They are light,
> moist, fairly thin, and soft. Almost an extra-thick crepe. No doubt
> part of it is inertia and nostalgia but nothing else comes close. If
> grandma's pancakes are a 10, everything else I've had clustered with
> Bisquick and IHOP around 2.5. ;-)
>
> Unfortunately, most of my immediate family don't like the taste of the
> buttermilk. Since I can't stand the thick, doughy texture that
> results from every other pancake recipe I've tried, we end up not
> having pancakes very often. I'm looking for some food science that
> will let me reformulate Grandma's recipe without buttermilk.
>
> Buttermilk clearly provides more than liquid to the recipe. It's got
> a thicker texture than regular milk which, no doubt, thickens the
> batter. But using regular milk and more flour gets me back to most
> other pancake recipes.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
> Chris

Buttermilk is a catalyst that help make them rise and be fluffy. Try using
plain yogurt or adding cream of tartar to plain milk. I don't know if
another acid, like lemon juice would work or not.

I don't like the taste of drinking buttermilk, but in a pancake recipe, it
is completely different, IMO. Try using it and not telling them.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Chris Nelson" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I grew up on my grandmother's buttermilk pancakes. They are light,
>> moist, fairly thin, and soft. Almost an extra-thick crepe. No doubt
>> part of it is inertia and nostalgia but nothing else comes close. If
>> grandma's pancakes are a 10, everything else I've had clustered with
>> Bisquick and IHOP around 2.5. ;-)
>>
>> Unfortunately, most of my immediate family don't like the taste of the
>> buttermilk. Since I can't stand the thick, doughy texture that
>> results from every other pancake recipe I've tried, we end up not
>> having pancakes very often. I'm looking for some food science that
>> will let me reformulate Grandma's recipe without buttermilk.
>>
>> Buttermilk clearly provides more than liquid to the recipe. It's got
>> a thicker texture than regular milk which, no doubt, thickens the
>> batter. But using regular milk and more flour gets me back to most
>> other pancake recipes.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>>
>> Chris
>
> Buttermilk is a catalyst that help make them rise and be fluffy. Try
> using plain yogurt or adding cream of tartar to plain milk. I don't know
> if another acid, like lemon juice would work or not.
>
> I don't like the taste of drinking buttermilk, but in a pancake recipe, it
> is completely different, IMO. Try using it and not telling them.

Rather it is the acid in the buttermilk that reacts with the baking soda and
leavens the pancake.

Paul

On Nov 24, 11:54*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> ...
> Buttermilk is a catalyst that help make them rise and be fluffy. *Try using
> plain yogurt or adding cream of tartar to plain milk. * I don't know if
> another acid, like lemon juice would work or not.
> ...

I'm not so sure about the yogurt but I'll give cream of tartar a shot.

On Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:10:59 -0800 (PST), Chris Nelson
> wrote:

>On Nov 24, 11:54*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>> ...
>> Buttermilk is a catalyst that help make them rise and be fluffy. *Try using
>> plain yogurt or adding cream of tartar to plain milk. * I don't know if
>> another acid, like lemon juice would work or not.
>> ...
>
>I'm not so sure about the yogurt but I'll give cream of tartar a shot.

I use a tbl or so of white vinegar. Have used lemon juice too.
'Mimi's [my mother in law] recipe calls for 'sour cream or clabbered
milk'. not exactly buttermilk in flavor, but I think it does to the
pancakes what buttermilk does.

She was a 'throw it together' gal, but here's what she gave us after
we bugged forever-
Mimi's Pancakes
1 or 2 eggs [we like 1]
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream [or clabber 1 cup milk with 1 tbl vinegar]
1 cup flour

Had to be an intrusive helper [she hated to have people in her
kitchen] to get the bread recipe.<g>

Jim