In a large bowl, whisk the salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, and sugar. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl add the egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Mix to combine. I keep it simple and just use a fork and mix until the yolk is nice and broken up and combined with the other ingredients.
In a small bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Mix for a few seconds (again, I just use a fork). When the flour and wet ingredients are partly combined fold in the fluffy egg whites. Don't over mix. It's fine to have small pieces of flour here and there. Let the pancake batter sit at room temperature for 10 mintues or so to rest. In the meantime, preheat a griddle or pan to cook the pancakes on.
Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto a buttered 300°F griddle. Cook on each side for approximately 2-3 minutes. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup drizzled over the top.
Video
Notes
Use real buttermilk. If you need to make your own, for every 1 cup of milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir. The acid will curdle the milk slightly. It’s now ready to use! Just note, I have not made this recipe with homemade buttermilk, I prefer the real thing far more. Do NOT overmix the batter. The key to pancake (and waffle batter) is to mix the batter until combined but lumpy. This allows the gluten proteins in the batter to link together in a relaxed and weblike way.Leftover pancakes can be store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat remove from container, place on a plate, and microwave until warm.