Do you like pancakes? I LOVE pancakes. For some reason, when I think of “special breakfast” I often think “pancakes.” Pancakes are good. Pancakes from scratch are WAY BETTER!

I’m sure that some people only get pancakes when they eat out. This is a shame, as most restaurant pancakes are pretty much the same, with the only variation being in adding fruit or, perhaps chocolate chips to them. There’s a world of  pancakes out there, to be discovered, but to do so, most of us need to make them ourselves. For some people, “making pancakes at home” means using a box mix. That’s okay. But if you want to start branching out, it would be a good first step, to learn to make them from scratch.

Pancakes from scratch are a lot easier than most people think.

Here’s a simple recipe. I can guarantee that these will be at least as good as those made from a box  mix. Chances are, they’ll be better.

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg (optional, but it makes the pancakes fluffier)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening (vegetable oil, lard, bacon fat, coconut oil, butter, anything like that)
• water

That’s it! Now, here’s how to prepare them:

• Place the flour in a mixing bowl.
• Mix the salt and baking powder together in a separate bowl. If there are any clumps in the baking powder, use a spoon and the salt to break them up.
• Add the salt and baking powder to the flour, in the mixing bowl.
• Add the shortening. If your chosen shortening is solid, melt it before adding to the flour mix.
• Mix everything together.
• Add the egg.
• Gradually add water to the mix, stirring until you have a batter which cooks into pancakes the thickness you prefer.

One tests the batter by preheating the skillet with some oil in it. Drop a spoonful of batter into the skillet when the pan is good and hot. If the batter immediately bubbles, then the temperature is right.

How to customize your pancakes:

This basic recipe is good. If, however, you want to really soup things up, substitute 1/2 cup of the regular flour with some other kind of flour, such as:

• cornmeal
• rye
• oatmeal (dry)
• whole wheat

The addition of another kind of flour really makes a difference. You can also add fruit to the batter. Possible variations are practically innumerable.

Make these pancakes three of four times and you won’t need to read the recipe anymore. You’ll just know how to do it.

Why would a person want to make pancakes from scratch?

• It’s way more economical.
• It provides more opportunity for variety.
• One can use healthier flours than what’s found in a box mix.
• By using basic staples, one can cut down on extra boxes in the cupboard.
• It’s cool to do stuff yourself. Go ahead, impress someone!

Related topic: How to make pancakes with no eggs.

Thread on the Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkin, which I sometimes use as an ingredient in pancakes. Bet the only way you can get pumpkin pancakes is to make them from scratch!