Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small bowl and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Add the melted, cooled butter and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Pour the buttermilk and egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.Pro Tip: It's important not to over-mix the batter, stir until you no longer see clumps of flour. It is okay if the batter has small lumps. Overmixing causes the gluten to develop from the flour in the batter which will make the pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with a neutral oil like vegetable, canola or avocado oil, or use a little melted butter.
Once the pan is hot, pour in about ¾ cup of batter.
When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surface of the pancake, flip it over. This takes 2 to 3 minutes. Once flipped, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.Pro Tip: A common mistake is to flip the pancake as soon as you start to see bubbles, but you should only flip when those bubbles pop and form holes that remain open. I like to use a thin spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip it and cook the other side. To flip the pancake, slide a thin spatula under the pancake, lift it a couple of inches, and then quickly turn your wrist to flip.
Remove the pancake from the skillet, add a little more oil or butter, and repeat until all of the batter is used.
Enjoy warm with butter and syrup.
Notes
Read It First: Take a quick peek at the entire recipe before you start cooking, including the ingredient notes and process photos. This will give you a roadmap for making perfect buttermilk pancakes every time!
Keep the batter lumpy. Don't stress about a few lumps in your batter! Just mix until there are no flour streaks, then stop. Overmixing can make your pancakes tough.
Use fresh ingredients: For the fluffiest pancakes, make sure your baking powder isn't past its prime (check the "Fluffy Secret" section above for testing tips).
Measure ingredients correctly. Accurate measurements are key! To measure flour perfectly, fluff it up in its container with a spoon. Then, scoop flour into your dry measuring cup and heap it a bit. Use a knife to level the top with a smooth swipe. Don't pack the flour in!
Batter Check: If your batter seems too thick, add a splash of buttermilk. Too thin? Stir in a spoonful or two of flour.
Flip the pancake once. Wait for bubbles to appear on the surface and the edges to look cooked before flipping. Patience here is key! Flipping too early can make your pancakes deflate.