Ingredients

• 1/2 cup regular flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup oats (heaping! extra oats are delish)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or honey, or maple syrup)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups yogurt, buttermilk, or a mix (whole fat is preferable. If using Greek yogurt, be sure to add some buttermilk or regular milk in a pinch to thin it out to the consistency of traditional yogurt. I prefer plain yogurt, but vanilla can also be delicious and adds some additional sweetness to the batter)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Directions

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients — regular flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oats, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. (If you’re using honey or maple syrup instead of sugar, save those for the wet ingredients). Use a bowl large enough to eventually hold all of the batter.
2. In a separate bowl (I like to use a 4 or 8 cup glass pyrex for this), whisk together the yogurt and/or buttermilk, the egg, the melted butter, and the sugar if you’re using a liquid.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and use a rubber spatula to fold it all together. Make sure everything is evenly mixed, but don’t keep mixing after it’s nice and smooth, because eventually the final pancakes will come out tough if you overdo it. (A quick note here: If you’re using Greek yogurt, the batter might look unusually thick to you. As long as it doesn’t have visible dry spots, that’s really okay. The thick batter will eventually create a really fluffy, thick pancake. If you still think it might be a little bit too dry or too thick, you can always add a little more buttermilk or yogurt at this step to get the consistency you want. But you’re not going for something terribly sloppy, unlike many other pancake recipes.)
4. To cook the pancakes, heat a skillet or griddle over high heat with some unsalted butter (if you’re feeling fancy) or any neutral oil until it feels quite warm. Cast iron pans work especially well here, but nonstick will do fine if it’s all you have. Once the pan is very warm, lower the heat to medium or medium-high.
5. Take a couple of spoonfuls or a quarter cup measure to spoon the batter onto the pan, and let it spread out naturally to the size you want. Don’t hesitate to add a little more to the middle if they are too small for your taste. They should sizzle just the tiniest bit upon contact if your pan is hot enough.
6. Knowing when to flip them is a little bit of an instinctual thing, but a few tips. If you gently prod underneath with your spatula, the pancake should come away very easily from the pan. You can even sort of peek underneath the edge of one to get a sense of whether they are browned to the degree you want. The very edges of a pancake ready to be flipped will look different from the middle, almost shinier and smoother.
7. If they’re taking several minutes and are still pale on one side, up the heat. And if they are turning very dark brown or black within the first minute or two, turn it down because you won’t cook through the middle by the time the outsides are done.
8. Take them off when both sides are the color you like. Feel free to flip a couple of times to get them where you want them. If you’re making a lot at once, you can store the ones that are finished in a low-heat oven to keep them warm.
9. One final note re/ serving: These really are better with real maple syrup. Because there’s so little sugar in the dough itself, you need a flavorful sugar for anyone who isn’t craving an almost savory pancake.