Serves 4 - 6

1. Put the buttermilk, eggs and oil into the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until well combined.
2.  Sift together the dry ingredients onto a piece of greaseproof paper and add to the buttermilk mixture.  Process 1 – 2 minutes or until well combined.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula and process for a few seconds.  Pour into a jug. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Heat a pancake (or frying) pan, add a knob of butter (or spray with cooking oil) and place over moderate heat until hot.  Pour in a little of the batter, smoothing out with the spatula or back of a spoon.  Make the cakes about 12cm in diameter.  Cook until small bubbles form on top, flip over and cook until golden on the other side.
4.   Serve in a stack of 2 – 3 pancakes topped with a knob of butter and drizzled with maple syrup or honey for breakfast or brunch.  Or dust them with icing sugar and serve with mixed summer berries and vanilla yogurt.

Note: for really fluffy pancakes, make the batter by hand: combine all the wet ingredients in one bowl, and all the dry ingredients in another. Heat the pan and add a knob of butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until just combined. The mixture should be thick and lumpy - don’t overmix it. Cook the batter as soon as you’ve combined the wet and dry ingredients.