It’s important not to overmix a pancake batter.
Just as with the batter on a good onion ring or piece
of fried fish (see “Experiment: Gluten Development
in Batter,” here), the more vigorously you stir a
batter, the more gluten develops, and the tougher it
becomes. The result is underrisen or leathery
pancakes. When mixing pancake batter, the goal is
to do it as quickly as possible, just until it comes
together, allowing a few lumps of dry flour to
remain. Don’t worry—they’ll disappear as the
pancakes cook.