the inner mystery of pancakes

I had occasion today to be making flapjacks for others for breakfast. I don't often make pancakes, and when I do, it is usually just for myself, so I have a lot of forgiveness if I undercook them. But when cooking for others, there's a lot of pressure to make sure the pancakes are golden on the outside and cooked through. But you can't tell without piercing them, and the hole in them would look a bit ugly. So, the chef must guess, based on the outside, and the time on the griddle. I am happy to report, my pancakes came out very well indeed, but it involved a lot of luck!