Olivia Regard's Banana Pecan Pancakes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup + 4-6 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 overripe bananas

1 ripe banana, sliced (optional)

1 cup toasted pecan pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225°F, and place a large baking sheet inside.
Mash bananas in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, melt butter halfway, then whisk in the granulated sugar. This should leave the mixture lukewarm, not piping hot.
If it's still hot, let it cool slightly before adding the eggs.
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, then add 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons of the buttermilk.
Whisk in salt and baking soda until fully combined. Scrape down your bowl, and add mashed bananas and 1/2 cup of toasted pecan pieces.
Stir in flour until it disappears. The goal is to get a thick mixture, more like a very soft cookie dough than a pourable batter. If it's very stiff, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of the remaining buttermilk, and stir until combined. Don't over mix.
Heat your griddle or frying pan to medium heat. Once hot, add butter (don't skimp here; butter makes crispy edges). Dollop pancake batter in the hot butter. (Resist the urge to press the mounds into flat puddles!)
Once bubbles form on top, lift a corner of each pancake, and check for it to be lightly browned before flipping it.
Once pancakes are golden brown on the second side, transfer pancakes to the heated oven. Repeat the above steps with any remaining batter.

Time in the oven will cook any uncooked batter in the pancakes. When they are ready to serve, top pancakes with sliced bananas, toasted pecans and maple syrup.