![Giant Buttermilk- Cornmeal Pancake with Blueberries](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/x6rk5B50WQo6-qPXO-k21xlwkM8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GiantButtermilkPancake-a39f768750c04544b82d772d85904860.jpg)
Johnny Miller
You know how the first pancake you make isn't great? Well, not with this recipe. It's a little misleading to say that, I guess, because this recipe really only makes one pancake. One perfect sheet of golden brown pancake stippled with blueberries. Fluffy, but also textured thanks to the cornmeal, it feels at once familiar but also a little different than your average flapjack.
As much as we would love to claim this recipe as our own, it's one of many brilliant sheet pan recipes from the new cookbook Hot Sheet, by Olga Massov & Sanaë Lemoine. You might recognize Massov's name from The Washington Post, where she is a food editor, while Lemoine, who writes novels as well as recipes, was a cookbook editor at Phaidon Press and Martha Stewart Books. The sheet pan, although often used, can feel less special than other kitchen equipment, but their new book explores just how versatile the humble pan is.
![Hot Sheet Cookbook Cover](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/EII7Xvs0lLSPbK2z_j39UZvkJlE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/HotSheetsHC-094d99699ad8439c9a517defb1cb1e33.jpg)
Johnny Miller
Massov even includes a genius tip for customizing this recipe to a large crowd's varied tastes: "I love a blueberry pancake, but you may be a chocolate chip person, or maybe you like nuts—or perhaps you’re a pancake purist and balk at the idea of anything contaminating that beautiful pancake texture. Feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination. Or, you can do like my Washington Post colleague Becky Krystal did: Make rows of preferred toppings in case you’ve got a house divided."
As someone who struggles not to make a recipe her own, I was inspired by the open-ended format. I had apples languishing the fridge, and thinly sliced them to shingle over half of the batter. The apples worked beautifully, especially showered with powdered sugar and cinnamon right out of the oven. Since I was feeding a crowd of just two, I froze squares of the pancake to defrost as needed throughout the work week as an easy breakfast. (Sans syrup, its a good on the go breakfast, too).
Whether you're entertaining or just in need of a delicious breakfast for yourself, consider this recipe. I know I'm thanking my past self for prepping a whole sheet tray worth of pancakes in advance...
Ingredients
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2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup (83g) fine or medium-grind cornmeal
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Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (1 1/2 tsp.)
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1 tsp. baking powder
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1 tsp. baking soda
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3/4 tsp. kosher salt
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4 Tbsp. (2 oz./56g) unsalted butter, plus more for serving
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3 large eggs
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3 Tbsp. (36g) granulated sugar or honey (63g)
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2 1/2 cups (600g) well-shaken buttermilk
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1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
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1 cup (145g) blueberries, plus more serving
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Maple syrup (optional), for serving
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Chopped strawberries (optional), for serving
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Sliced bananas (optional), for serving
Directions
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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
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While the oven preheats, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
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Add the butter to a half-sheet pan and place in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it melts, smells nutty, and the solids brown. Gently tilt the pan around to ensure the butter is coating the bottom and sides of the pan and set aside on a heatproof surface.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and airy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Carefully pour the melted browned butter in the sheet pan into the buttermilk mixture. Set the sheet pan aside and wipe the corner you used for pouring. Whisk the buttermilk mixture to incorporate the butter.
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Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, whisking gently just to combine; some lumps are fine. Place the empty sheet pan in the oven for 1 minute to heat, then remove and set on a heatproof surface. Transfer the batter to the hot sheet and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter. Evenly sprinkle the blueberries over the top of the pancake.
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Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and light golden brown. Remove from the oven, cut into individual pieces, and serve warm. If desired, serve with maple syrup, strawberries, and/or bananas.
Source
From HOT SHEET by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine. Copyright © 2024 Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Photography by Johnny Miller.