Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Creating a well in the centre makes it easier to incorporate the wet ingredients.

Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl or a large jug, whisk the egg until it's lightly beaten. Then, add the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk until everything is smoothly combined.

Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the well of the dry ingredients. Using a whisk or a spatula, mix gently until the ingredients are *just* incorporated. Do not overmix! The batter should be thick and quite lumpy; this is perfectly normal and desirable.

Rest the Batter: Let the batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. This crucial step allows the gluten to relax and the raising agents to activate, which is essential for fluffy pancakes.

Heat the Pan: Place a large non-stick frying pan or a griddle over a medium heat. Add a small knob of butter and swirl it around to lightly coat the surface. The pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.

Cook the Pancakes: Ladle about 60-80ml of batter per pancake onto the hot pan, leaving space between each one. I find that using an ice cream scoop gives me perfectly uniform pancakes every time.

Wait for the Bubbles: Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side. You'll know it's time to flip when bubbles start to appear and pop on the surface and the edges look dry and set.

Flip and Finish: Using a thin spatula, carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side, until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Keep Warm and Repeat: Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate and keep them warm in a low oven (around 100°C) while you cook the remaining batter, adding a little more butter to the pan between batches as needed.