Buckwheat Pancakes (Cold)

Buckwheat was a traditional mountain crop — easy to grow, fast to mature, and providing cold-tolerant grain when wheat failed. Buckwheat pancakes were darker, earthier, and more substantial than regular pancakes. Cooked in batches on Sunday, cold pancakes went into lunch pails spread with butter and sorghum. The strong, slightly bitter buckwheat flavor was prized by mountain families.

Ingredients

• 1 cup buckwheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

• 1¾ cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp lard or butter, melted
• Butter and sorghum molasses for serving

Directions

1. Mix buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk buttermilk, egg, and melted lard together.

1. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined — a few lumps are fine.

Let batter rest 5 minutes.

1. Heat a cast iron griddle over medium heat. Grease with lard.
2. Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form and edges look set, 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 minutes more.
3. Cool completely for the lunch pail. Spread with butter while still slightly warm.
4. Drizzle sorghum over cold pancakes and stack for transport.

Notes

True buckwheat pancakes are dark gray-brown and have an assertive earthy, slightly bitter flavor that takes getting used to but is ultimately addictive. Traditional sourdough buckwheat pancakes — made with a fermented starter — were an Appalachian winter morning staple. The sorghum offsets the bitterness beautifully.