When bringing your pancake batter together, stir the wet and dry ingredients just until that dry flour disappears. Don't worry about small lumps at all; overworking the batter here is what turns pancakes unpleasantly rubbery.

You want a batter that sits noticeably thicker than crepe batter, yet still oozes out smoothly across the pan. Get your heavy skillet nicely warmed and swipe it with a slick of oil. Turn each pancake over once little bubbles break open and the edges firm up, letting the other side take on a gorgeous golden tint. Be ready to nudge the burner down as your pan stores more heat throughout the batch.