Step 1

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk to completely break up the egg into the milk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. There should still be some lumps, do not mix until smooth as this will create a tough pancake. The batter should be thick, but just pourable. Fold in the melted butter and let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat a cast iron pan or a griddle over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thoroughly hot. You should be able to feel the heat radiating off the surface when you hold your hand an inch or two away. Place a Tablespoon of butter in the hot pan and heat until melted and the foam subsides. Drop about ⅓ of a cup into the center of the pan and push into a circle. Cook on the first side until golden brown, a crispy ring has developed around the edge, and bubbles are bursting all over the top, about 3-4 minutes. The pancake should be cooked ¾ of the way through on the first side. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. You may need to adjust your heat if the pancakes are getting too brown too quickly.

Step 3

Continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used, adding more butter to the pan as needed. The batter can also be refrigerated for 2-3 days.