To make the pancake batter, in a large bowl, sift the flour, add salt and sugar, then whisk to combine.

Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add eggs, whisk, then when thoroughly combined, gradually add milk, continuing to combine.

When completely combined, add the melted butter, combine until you have a smooth batter, then refrigerate for a minimum of an hour.

To make the pancakes, warm a dinner plate in an oven, then have that, butter, and a spatula or two, by the stove.

Heat a frying pan of 25cm (10 inch) in diameter on medium-heat, drop a teaspoon of butter into it, titling the pan to ensure it covers the entire base.

Taking the pan off the heat, tilt the pan slightly and pour in a ladle-full of batter at the highest point, then shift the pan around to swirl the batter so that it evenly coats the pan, then return it to the heat.

From around 30 seconds onwards, the edges of the batter should start to brown and crisp up and the batter should begin to bubble, indicating that it’s almost ready to be turned over. Lift the pancake a little with a spatula to check how done it is on the underside and when it has started to brown in places, it’s time to flip it over.

Note that the first pancake can sometimes be a bit tricky to turn over so you may have to use a spatula and your fingers. Every other pancake will be easier to turn over with a spatula – and if you’re new at this, in time you should be able to flip it in the pan.

When the other side has browned, take the pan off the stove, slide the pancake onto the warm plate, and spread butter over the pancake, especially the crispy edges.

Then repeat until you’ve used up the batter.

Plate individually or on a platter at the centre of the table. You can serve the pancakes in the stack you created while cooking them, fold them twice over (as above), or fill them and roll them. Serve sweet or savoury. For sweet, we suggest berries or jam, sour cream or cream, and lemon and icing sugar.