Skip to content
Tasty Cooking Logotasty cooking
Golden Diner's Famous Pancakes

Honey Butter Pancakes

Prep: 1 hr 15 min
Ready: 1 hr 45 min
4-6
breakfast

Fluffy yeasted pancakes served with honey maple butter, finished with lemon zest.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup avocado oil (for even browning)
  • Fresh lemon zest

Yeast Mixture (Poolish)

  • 60g warm water
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package/7g)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups buttermilk (for flavor and acidity)

Dry Mix

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar (not too sweet)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 5g baking soda (precisely measured)
  • 5g baking powder

Maple Honey Syrup

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) butter
  • Honey to taste (for Werther's Original-like flavor)
  • Soy sauce to taste (for salty, deep base notes)
  • Maple syrup to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Touch of water
  • Xanthan gum (optional, for stability)

Whipped Honey Maple Butter

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) room temperature butter
  • Similar flavorings as syrup (honey, maple, etc.)

Berry Compote

  • Equal parts blueberries and strawberries
  • Cut strawberries precisely to blueberry size
  • Sugar (just enough to bring it up)
  • Cornstarch (for thickening)

Garnish

  • Fresh lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Make Poolish (1 hour) - Combine warm water (not too hot), buttermilk, and yeast. Mix in first cup of flour until just combined. Texture should look like cottage cheese - lumps are good. Don't overmix or it will be gummy. Cover to prevent skin forming. Place in warm (not hot) spot for 1 hour. When ready, mixture should feel warm to touch and show active bubbles, with slight sour bread aroma.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients - Important salt goes in dry mix to avoid killing yeast. Combine remaining flour, sugar, salt, precisely measured baking soda and powder. Mix until homogeneous.
  3. Make Maple Honey Syrup - Gently melt butter (no browning) - microwave okay. In separate bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, maple syrup, and salt. Mix until completely homogeneous - one solid color. Add to melted butter. Add touch of water. If using xanthan gum, whisk constantly while adding.
  4. Make Berry Compote - Cut strawberries precisely to match blueberry size. Mix with sugar and cornstarch. Let macerate until white/powdery becomes wet/glazey. Cook quickly (1-2 minutes) - mixture will be violent and explosive initially. Done when berries become limp but maintain shape. Immediately shock in ice bath.
  5. Make Final Batter - Mix wet ingredients until no yellow streaks. Combine with poolish. Gently fold in dry ingredients. Batter should look "alive" with bubbles forming and popping. Should have distinctive sourdough-like aroma.
  6. Cook Pancakes - Position rack 6 inches from broiler, preheat broiler. Place pan on medium heat for full 5 minutes. Test drop should make gentle sizzle, not angry spitting. Pour ½ cup batter. Cook until bottom is golden brown. Move to cooler part for 30 seconds. Finish under broiler until top is set and lightly golden.
  7. Plate for Visual Impact - Stack two golden-brown pancakes. Add vibrant berry compote. Add shaped quenelle of honey maple butter. Pour syrup generously - pancakes should be "drenched". Finish with fresh lemon zest.