At the moment, I am on a bit of an “alternative flours” kick. I have a renewed evangelical zeal for for spelt and buckwheat and whole wheat (of course) and even the nutty kamut (I really love me some kamut). It feels so hippie, but it feels so good. And, most importantly, I can’t wait to announce the newest Baked creation. It is made entirely with organic, alternative flours and it is divine. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you need to find me, I will either be at the construction site or buried deep within the pages of Megan Gordon’s Whole-Grain Mornings. I LOVE this book. It is the perfect compendium of what breakfast should be. It should be things like Nutty Millet Breakfast Cookies (great recipe) and Red Flannel Buckwheat Hash (she had me at Hash) and even the less breakfast-y but delicious Whole Grain Gingerbread.

Megan’s book works like the best escapist fiction: each page makes me want to run screaming from the dirty sidewalks of NYC and embrace the land (Catskills, Hudson Valley, Stinson Beach). If only I could make enough money to sustain myself as a spelt farmer. This would be difficult as I don’t have a farming background…but…

My go to recipe from this book is Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes. Of course. In the head note, Megan mentions she was partially inspired to create this recipe by the nostalgia for Bisquick. OMG! I used to live off Bisquick and Hershey’s syrup. SERENDIPITY. The recipe is separated into two components: first you make the dry base mix which you store in the refrigerator for pancake emergencies (aka every weekend), then you incorporate a cup of the mix with some wet ingredients whenever you damn well please. YES!

Whole-Grain Pancake Mix from Whole-Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon

For the Pancake Mix

2 cups / 240 g unbleached flour
¾ cup / 100 g buckwheat flour
½ cup / 60 g spelt flour
¾ cup/ 75 g rolled oats
3 tablespoons natural cane sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together. Scoop into a large glass jar and store for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. Give the ingredients a good stir before using to integrate any ingredients that may have settled.

For the Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes

1 large egg
½ cup / 120 ml milk
½ cup / 120 ml buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup / 165 g of Whole-Grain Pancake mix (above)
lots of honey, maple syrup and European style butter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, buttermilk and butter. Whisk in the pancake mix and beat until smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to allow the dry ingredients to soak up some of the liquid. If the batter feels too thick to easily whisk, add 1 more tablespoon of milk to loosen.

Melt a nub of butter in a large skillet over medium heat to coat the pan. Scoop ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Cook each pancake until the bottom is golden brown and the top begins to bubble, 2-3 mins. Flip and cook the other side for an additional 1-2 minutes. You’ll likely need another bit of butter in the pan in between batches. Serve warm, topped with all manner of fun things like honey, maple syrup, butter and yes…chocolate sauce.