For anyone who slept over at my parents’ house when I was a kid–or anyone who has been to brunch at my house as an adult–these pancakes need no introduction.

For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of eating these pancakes: welcome, my friend. Your life is about to be divided into B.B. (before Bette’s) and A.B. (after Bette’s).

A brief backstory: in 1999, my mom spotted an article in the San Francisco Chronicle on the buttermilk pancakes at Bette’s Oceanview Diner in Berkeley. I think the hand of God must have moved her, because, though she already had a go-to pancake recipe, she clipped the recipe and made the pancakes.

And that was it– these became our House Pancake, earning a place in the vaunted pantheon of family recipes alongside our also-famous-to-childhood-friends oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.

The combination of baking soda, baking powder, and buttermilk makes the Bette’s pancakes the fluffiest and lightest you’ll ever eat. There’s a decent amount of butter. And they only get better with the addition of chocolate chips, which crisp on the edges and melt on the inside when they hit the hot griddle. They’re perfect.

Mom and I have been making these for nearly twenty years. I would scarf eight (!) of them before a long day at the ballet studio in high school; I would look forward to them when I would come home for breaks during college; I have eaten them in quantity when training for marathons; and I still make them at least once a month. I hope these will become as central a part of your weekends as they have of ours.

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Previously:
One year ago:  Pear and Almond Tart (a fragrant French classic and a good alternative to the endless apple pies that hang around at this time of year)
Two years ago: Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (the cookie equivalent of the Bette’s pancakes: absolute perfection and fuel for many childhood adventures and misadventures)

And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Umami Bomb Mushroom Soup + How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
1.5 years ago: Tip: How to Lessen the Bite of Red Onions
2.5 years ago: Muesli with Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Coconut

What to do with any leftover buttermilk?
Try these British-style scones (see note at bottom of recipe for buttermilk substitute) or go savory and make this eggplant with buttermilk-yogurt dressing.

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Bette’s Buttermilk Pancakes

From a San Francisco Chronicle article on Bette’s Oceanview Diner (which, by the way, is a Berkeley institution and well worth a visit if you’re ever in the Bay Area)
Makes enough for 3 ambitious pancake eaters or 4 more normal humans

Ingredients

2 cups (280g) flour
2 tablespoons (27g) sugar
2 teaspoons (5g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (I usually just pop it into the microwave on defrost briefly)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
oil for griddle
A couple of handfuls of chocolate chips (optional, but you should see the incredulous look I give people who don’t want chocolate chips in their pancakes)
Maple syrup, to serve (because what is this lady smoking)

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together the eggs with the buttermilk, milk, and melted butter.

Just before you are ready to make the pancakes, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring just long enough to blend. The batter should be slightly lumpy. (Two things here produce peak pancake fluff: waiting to mix the wet and dry ingredients until you’re ready to make the pancakes, because the batter begins to react the moment the buttermilk hits the baking soda and powder; and resisting the temptation to mix out all of the lumps.)

Heat a nonstick griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little bit of oil in the skillet, then use a wadded-up paper towel to spread the oil thinly and evenly over the skillet.

Pour about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle or skillet, spacing the pancakes apart so they do not run together. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the uncooked tops of the pancakes. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes and the undersides are lightly browned, turn and cook for about 2 minutes longer, until lightly browned on the bottom. (Worried about flipping? Two clichés that are actually true here: practice makes perfect, and fortune favors the bold.)

Notes

On leftovers: If you somehow don’t manage to finish all of the pancakes, they can be saved overnight and reheated in the microwave for a quick breakfast the next morning. They lose their fluffy texture, but the flavor is still great.

Do-it-ahead: If you want to get a jump start, you can mix the dry ingredients the night before.