Breakfast Recipes

Start the morning with a skillet

Breakfast dishes often depend on precise pan heat and timing. For pancakes, the first batch helps establish the right griddle temperature; keep finished portions warm without drying them.

Buttermilk is what makes Southern pancakes tender: its acid reacts with the leavening and gives a lighter, slightly tangy crumb. Mix the batter only until the flour disappears, because a few lumps keep the pancakes soft, and let it stand for five minutes while the skillet heats.

Medium heat is enough. Pour the first pancake as a test, turn it when bubbles break on the surface and the edges look dry, and adjust the heat before the rest of the batch. Scatter blueberries onto each pancake after it goes into the pan, rather than stirring them into the batter, so the berries do not bleed and the bottoms do not scorch.

To serve a family at once, keep finished pancakes in a single layer on a rack in a 200°F oven. A breakfast table built around them can be simple: crisp bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, butter, warm syrup and a pot of coffee. For a fuller Southern spread, add a pan of buttermilk biscuits.

This collection is small for now. The flapjacks are below; more breakfast recipes will be added as they are written.