In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
Separate egg whites from the egg yolks. Add egg whites to a mixing bowl and the egg yolks to a separate bowl.
Make a well in the center of the bowl and add egg yolk and maple syrup (optional).
Whisk together these two first. Then add the milk.
Stir with a spatula until well combined and you end up with a smooth batter. Don't over mix.
Beat the egg whites using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) starting with low-medium speed and slowly increasing the speed while beating.
Continue beating the egg whites until you can see stiff peaks forming (see video or step-by-step photos above). Gently fold in half of whipped egg whites. We don't want to destroy the air that has been created by beating them.
Once the batter is smooth, fold in other half an stir until well combined.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat.
Pour ¼ or ⅓ cup of the pancake batter (depending on how large you like your pancakes) into the hot pan.
Let cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes. Slide a spatula under the pancake and check if the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
Then flip and cook the other side for another minute or so.
Add the cooked pancakes to a plate and serve topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup (more topping suggestions above).