Melt two tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Set aside as you add the eggs, milk, flour,  salt, sugar if using, and vanilla if using, to a blender. Add in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Blend until just smooth; a few small lumps are fine, stopping to scrape down as needed. Do not overblend; blend only enough to mix the ingredients. Set aside to rest as the oven preheats. (If time allows, allow to rest for 20 to 25 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F., with a rack in the middle of the oven and any other racks below, to allow for the high puff. For the best puff, preheat a 9×13″ pan as the oven preheats and keep the oven on with the pan inside for at least 10 minutes if time allows.

When the time is up, working quickly, scatter the remaining six tablespoons of butter pieces in the pan to melt. Open and close the door quickly. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once melted, give the batter a gentle stir to break up any large bubbles, then open the oven, quickly pour in the batter right into the center of the pan,  and immediately close the oven door.

Don’t open the oven door while baking.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Have everything set up before the pancake is ready to be removed from the oven. A pancake waits for no man; man should wait for the pancake. It will begin to fall as soon as it’s removed from the oven.

Remove and serve immediately. Tradition dictates serving with lemon wedges and powdered sugar. Berries, fruit, jam, or syrup are all options.