Sift Flour Mixture. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2½ cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
Mix Buttermilk Mixture. Add wet ingredients to separate bowl (large bowl) and use a hand mixer on medium speed to combine.
2½ cups buttermilk, 2 eggs, ¼ cup shortening
Mix Batter. Using an electric hand mixer or a whisk, mix flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture a little at a time until combined into a slightly lumpy pancake batter. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
Preheat Pan. Preheat a cast iron griddle or a large skillet over medium heat.Add Oil. Add a little vegetable oil to the hot griddle or skillet. Use enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook Pancakes. Once the oil is hot, add a ladleful of pancake batter to the center of the hot pan. Spread it out a little bit so that it is not too thick in the center. Let the pancake cook without touching it, until you see little bubbles dotting the surface.
Notes
Pro Tips For Making Pancakes
Use Fresh Ingredients - Make sure the baking powder hasn't expired or you'll have flat pancakes.
Don't Over Mix The Batter - For the fluffiest results, take care not to over mix the batter. Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl until they are well combined. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix them until just combined into a slightly lumpy batter.
Let The Batter Rest For 10 Minutes - Give the baking powder time to create the bubbles in the batter that cause it to thicken and rise.
Cookie Scoop - Use a cookie scoop to measure out the batter into uniform sized pancakes.
Crispy Edges - For extra crispy edges, use enough oil (2 tablespoons) so that it bubbles up and sizzles around the edges.
Watch The Temperature Of The Pan - Use a hot pan, but not too hot. Check the bottom of the pancake as it is cooking. If it is too brown, your pan is too hot. Decrease the temperature a little to slow down the cooking process.
Know When To Flip The Pancakes - Ready to flip when you see air bubbles form on the top of the pancake. The pancake is about ⅔ cooked at this point. Life a corner edge to check the bottom of the pancake. Flip it when it is golden brown.
Keep Them Warm - Lay them in a single layer on a wire rack that has been placed on a baking sheet and keep the fresh pancakes warm in a 150-200°F oven.