Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and melted butter.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy — overmixing makes tough pancakes.
Rest and heat the pan. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while you heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat (about 350°F / 175°C).
Cook the first side. Lightly grease the pan with butter or oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set.
Flip. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the other side.
Serve. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings, or keep warm on a rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you finish the batch.
Mix-in variations:
- Blueberry: fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (don’t thaw frozen ones first).
- Chocolate chip: fold in 1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Banana: mash 1 ripe banana into the wet ingredients and reduce the milk by 1/4 cup.
- Apple cinnamon: fold in 1/2 cup finely diced apple and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
- Veggie: add 1/2 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry), or pumpkin puree with warming spices.
Troubleshooting tips:
- Flat, dense pancakes: old baking powder, or the batter was overmixed.
- Burnt outside, raw inside: pan too hot — lower the heat and give the first pancake a little longer.
- Pale and doughy: pan too cool, or not enough fat on the griddle.