Buckwheat Flaxseed Pancakes

If you experiment with alterna-flours, which is what Iike to call anything that's not standard all-purpose white flour, you know it's not always easy to get the mix right. Pancakes are generally forgiving. I've made mine with combos of AP flour, spelt, pastry, whole wheat flours--you name it. Typically, when I make GF pancakes, I usually swap out half of the flour for something like oat or rice or a combo thereof. It's unusual for a GF recipe to employ one single type of flour, as they all have different properties and tend to work best in proportions, as a team. It's not always easy to find a single player that carries the whole thing. 

These buttermilk flaxseed pancakes, however, are dreamy, nutty and light. I fed them to a group of hungry yoga students after class at Easton Public Market a few days ago, taught by Jess from Yukato Yoga. I was surprised they didn't turn out to be too thick, but the generous amount of buttermilk certainly helped matters. 

This recipe made  several dozen pancakes when I tripled it. I'd suggest starting with the basic recipe and tailor it as needed. Buckwheat pancakes are nutty and sometimes overly dense but these are not. I served these with late season blackberries and some local Pennsylvania maple syrup. But pancakes are also great with apple butter, jam, and other sweet condiments, or even just fresh seasonal fruit. Maybe cook down some apples a little or some pears.

One other tip: if you are cooking batches of pancakes for a crowd, have a low oven heated (about 300°F) and a baking sheet and aluminum foil. As you cook, pop those cakes into the oven and cover with the foil so they don't dry out. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/3  cup buckwheat flour
• 2 T. organic flaxseed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 T. organic sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Unsalted, cultured or organic butter for cooking, or coconut oil

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through nutmeg. Set aside. 

In a separate, smaller bowl (or even a large Pyrex measuring cup, which is what I like to do because you can pour easily), combine the buttermilk through vanilla extract and lightly loosen the egg yolk with a fork. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until everything is incorporated. If for some reason the batter looks too thick, add a couple tablespoons of buttermilk (or even regular whole milk) at a time until it's liquid enough. 

Melt the butter or other oil over a skillet set to medium heat. Working in batches, cook the pancakes in 1/4 cup or so dollops at a time, keeping in mind that they will spread a bit. When the edges start to look more solid, and there are bubbles forming in the middle, carefully flip the pancakes. They should cook quickly, within just a couple of minutes, so have a warm plate ready or transfer to the oven if you are making a big batch. 

Serve immediately with the aforementioned berries, fruit, applesauce or apple butter, or homemade jam. Wrap any leftover pancakes in aluminum foil and freeze for an easy weekday breakfast. 

Buckwheat flaxseed pancakes with blackberries. Om to Yum, baby!