Sour Milk Cakes

Before buttermilk came in cartons, home cooks used sour milk to make the fluffiest griddle cakes around. This recipe keeps that tradition alive.

Sour milk and sour cream work together here, reacting with the baking soda to lift the batter into tall, airy pancakes with a slight tang that sets them apart from the sweet, flat versions you get from a box.

The ingredient list is short and the method is even shorter: sift, mix, beat until smooth, pour onto a hot griddle. Breakfast in 25 minutes.

Kitchen Tips

• No sour milk on hand? Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 10 minutes. It’ll curdle slightly, and that’s exactly what you want.
• Beat the batter until smooth, not just combined. Unlike muffin batter, pancake batter benefits from a thorough mix for an even, lump-free pour.
• Get the griddle properly hot before the first pour. A drop of water should sizzle and evaporate on contact. Too cool and the cakes spread thin; too hot and they burn before cooking through.