Baking soda affects pH, which in turn affects browning.The pancake all the way on the left is inordinately acidic,
due to the unneutralized buttermilk. It cooked up pale and
bland. It was also underrisen, with a flat, dense texture. The
one all the way around on the bottom, with a full ½
teaspoon of baking soda in the batter, had the opposite