Place milk, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture will develop a slightly curdled appearance.
Whisk self raising flour and bicarb of soda in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Add egg and melted butter to the milk mixture. Whisk until the egg has combined with the milk. The butter will float on the surface.
Add milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until almost smooth. The batter should still have a few lumps. DO NOT overmix as this will make the pancakes tough.
Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Grease with butter.
Scoop batter into the pan. A 1/4 cup scoop will make 10 pancakes. A 1/2 cup scoop will make 5 large pancakes.
Cook the first side until small bubbles appear. Flip to cook the second side.