We make these nearly every weekend, so there’s been ample time to obsess and perfect. This is a no-frills pancake, attempting to create the softest, fluffiest pancake possible – for when only pillowy, American-style flapjacks will suffice.

• 3 tbsp butter, plus a bit to spread on each pancake
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• Enough maple syrup to swim in

1. Before you get carried away, melt the butter and set it aside to cool. You don’t want to mix in molten butter and have it curdle your eggs.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. Separate the egg. Vigorously beat the whites until you get soft peaks. Set aside. This step is the key to unlocking the gates of special pancake heaven.
4. Add the milk and egg yolk to the flour mixture. Mix enough to combine all of the ingredients. If you’re keen, use a whisk to prevent any floury clumps from forming.
5. Pour in the butter while mixing and combine.
6. Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites.
7. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
8. Heat a small nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Don’t add any additional fat to the pan – the butter in the pancake mix will keep things from sticking and create an even colouring. Once the pan is hot, use a ladle to portion out 1 pancake. The ladle we use holds about 150ml of batter.
9. Leave the pancake to cook for a minute or two on each side. You’ll know when to flip it when you see small, uniform bubbles appear across the surface of the batter. The pancakes should be a rich, golden brown on each side.
10. Once a pancake has cooked, place it on a serving plate and spread with a thin coating of butter.
11. Once you have a stack of two pancakes, douse in maple syrup or jam and indulge.

This recipe makes 4 pancakes – enough to make 2 people very fat and happy.

Flipped to Yo La Tengo – Painful