Fluffy and fresh off the griddle, eagerly waiting to soak up glossy golden drizzles of pure maple syrup, there really isn’t anything quite as fitting as a stack of piping hot pancakes to herald the end of the work week. But while easy in theory, many a hot cake endeavour often ends in a hot mess…until now. Here to save you from the temperamental undertaking and the stress of serving flat, deformed limp excuses for flapjacks, we’ve consulted the great culinary minds of Bon Appetit for a selection of surefire ways to guarantee you’re on top of your griddle game.

Mind your baking soda
Responsible for aerating your pancakes into fluffy pillows of perfection, make sure your baking soda is less than six months old or it won’t do what it’s supposed to. To check if it still has the pep needed to pump up your pancakes, toss a spoonful in a bowl and add a splash of vinegar; if it fizzes frantically, you are good to go.

Timing is everything
The longer you wait to ladle your batter onto the griddle, the less likely you are to succeed, as raising agents work as soon as they hit wet ingredients. So, use the aforementioned aeration to your advantage and move swiftly from mixing bowl to hot plate. And contrary to popular belief, lumpy batter is a-ok. Overworking the mixture will result in a chewy rather than fluffy outcome, so brief blending is best. Further adding to the hole-y outcome, do not flip as soon as you see bubbles – wait for them to pop and stay open.

Don’t use butter
We gasped in horror too but what makes butter burn, especially when it’s on a medium heat for an extended period of time, are the milk solids within. This is why opting for clarified butter (where the milk solids have been separated) or vegetable oil, will minimise the number of borderline burnt hotcakes that weasel their way onto the plate.

Via Bon Appetit.