Best Yorkshire puddings (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good Yorkshire pudding? ›

Resting the batter overnight is key for developing better flavor. Forget about cold batter: letting it rest at room temperature helps it rise taller as it bakes. A combination of milk and water gives the Yorkshire puddings extra rise and crispness.

Use an egg white for extra height

Yorkshire puddings are made with a classic batter, but switching up your egg quantities can make a difference. Using one extra egg white could help make them extra tall.

What is best oil or fat for Yorkshire puddings? Gordon Ramsay's recipe calls for vegetable oil or beef dripping, but you can also use sunflower oil, lard or solid vegetable shortening. Avoid olive oil or butter as they burn easily and have low 'smoke' points.

Resting the batter really does result in better-risen Yorkshire puddings with an airier texture (rather than chewy). About an hour is sufficient to allow the starch molecules to swell, giving a thicker consistency, and for the gluten to relax.

Always use equal volumes of egg, milk, and all-purpose flour. If you use too much flour, the resulting pudding will be heavy and dense. Without enough egg, there will be insufficient air beaten in for a successful rise. Too much milk will make the batter too loose.

History. The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, The oldest known reference to popovers dates to 1850. The first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was in 1876.

This is about the oil. As mentioned, you need the oil to be very hot before adding your batter, but it's also important to use the right amount. Too much will make the bottom of your Yorkshires greasy, while too little could see your puds stick to the pan.

One of the main reasons why Yorkshires don't rise is because the oil isn't hot enough, so make sure it's bubbling and sizzling as you pour your batter in. Make sure you aren't over-filling the tin – fill each hole about a third or halfway up, any more and they may collapse through the weight of batter.

The batter doesn't need to be chilled. Should Yorkshire pudding batter be thick or runny? The batter should be about as thick as double cream (so easily pourable but with some body).

How do you keep the bottom of Yorkshire puddings from getting soggy? ›

Note 1 – Larger Yorkshire puddings:

Divide the batter between the holes and cook for 25-30 minutes. Turn each Yorkshire pudding over in the pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking to ensure the base is lovely and crisp.

The general rule of thumb is that substituting some, or even half of the milk in your recipe for water will make your puddings lighter and crispier, so try this modification if your puds are too dense or soft. The amount of eggs that you use matters, too – use an equal amount of flour, eggs and milk or water.

What consistency should Yorkshire pudding mix be? For perfect Yorkies, you need a consistency of heavy cream, so really quite runny but not milk-runny. To make sure you achieve this I suggest pouring half of the liquid in and then slowly adding more until you reach the consistency.

The fat isn't hot enough (it should be smoking hot). The oven isn't getting hot enough (needs to maintain a 220C/425F temperature). Your oven loses heat too quickly when you open the oven door and/or you leave the oven door open for too long whilst you're filling up the Yorkshire pudding tins with batter.

'Should I be using water in the batter as well as milk? ' Yorkshire pudding batter has just three ingredients – milk, eggs and flour – but the addition of water can make the finished result puffy and light. The fat content of the milk and eggs brings richness, but it's the water that helps them crisp up.