Up your Sunday roast game with these easy tips.
Sorry, Nanna. UK scientists reckon they’ve cracked the code to the perfect Yorkshire pudding.
Yes, we know that everyone has their own ‘secret’ technique for making the ultimate Yorkie and of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, scientists at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) deem that the perfect Yorkshire pudding is made of just five ingredients: plain flour, milk, water, eggs and salt, and must be prepared in a very particular way.
Plain flour is key, according to the Brits. The addition of bicarb or baking powder should not be added to the mix at all, and can even cause the puds to become flat, dense, or even burn. The logic behind this is that rising agents like bicarb and baking powder cause the batter to rise too quickly before the gluten has time to strengthen the mix, causing the pudding to collapse.
Related story: Find the country’s largest Yorkshire pud at this Surry Hills pub
Next up is the liquid. Where most home cooks will exclusively use milk in their Yorkshire puddings, British food technologist Elizabeth Head says that a ratio of 92 percent milk and eight percent water is the ticket; “The extra moisture from the water leads to lighter, puffier Yorkies, because the movement of the stream created by the heat encourages them to puff upwards.”
The egg element is all the rising agent that a Yorkshire pudding needs in line with the RSC’s method. The eggs not only add moisture to the puddings, but bind the batter together and cause the Yorkies to rise when the batter makes contact with the hot oil.
Once your mixture is whipped to a thin cream-like consistency, it must be left at room temperature. Just like cooking a steak straight from the fridge, a cold batter will not cook evenly.
Finally, once you’ve popped your puds into the oven – back away. The temptation to open the oven and check on your puddings is practically irresistible, we know, but if you open that door, the temperature will fluctuate and you’ll end up with flat puddings. Anything shorter than 10cm is not technically a Yorkshire pudding, after all.
Related story:Lift your Sunday roast game with our mini Yorkshire puddings
How to make the perfect Yorkshire pudding
Makes 6
Ingredients
- 85g plain flour
- 2 small eggs
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 230 ml milk
- 20 ml water
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil or beef drippings
Method
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees
- Sieve plain flour and ½ tsp salt into a mixing bowl
- Add the two eggs to the flour and gradually add the milk and water until a smooth, thin consistency. Set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- Add 1-2 tsp of your chosen fat into each bowl of a cupcake tin and place into the oven until smoking hot
- Give the batter a final stir and pour into the smoking fat. Transfer immediately to the hot oven and cook for 12-15 minutes
Related story: Master the art of a perfect Sunday roast with this recipe
FAQs
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.
What happens if you put baking powder in Yorkshire pudding? ›
Plain flour is key, according to the Brits. The addition of bicarb or baking powder should not be added to the mix at all, and can even cause the puds to become flat, dense, or even burn.
Is milk or water better for Yorkshire puddings? ›
'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.
What ingredient makes Yorkshire pudding rise? ›
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.
Is it best to let Yorkshire pudding batter rest? ›
How do you make Yorkshire puddings rise higher? Let the batter sit. Make sure you rest your batter rest for at least an hour before you cook to ensure a good rise and deliciously light puddings.
Should I put more or less eggs in Yorkshire pudding? ›
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.
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). Why do my Yorkshire puddings rise then go flat? It might be because the oven door was opened while they were cooking. Yorkshire puddings need a consistently high heat to rise fully and set.
What is the best oil or fat for Yorkshire puddings? ›
Cold batter and hot oil are the successful combination for a well risen and crisp pudding. Make sure your Rapeseed Oil is smoking hot before pouring your batter into the tin. It's the best oil for the job.
Can you put too much oil in Yorkshire pudding? ›
When the oil is hot enough, the batter will immediately cook and seal on the outside, allowing them to set and rise properly. The #2 way that Yorkshire Pudding fails, is adding too much oil to the pan.
What is the US version of Yorkshire pudding? ›
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.
To prevent your Yorkshire puddings from sinking, don't open the oven door before the end of cooking time. When you remove the tin from the oven, do not leave the puddings near any drafts. The most foolproof way to stop your puddings from sinking? Eat them straight away!
Why is my Yorkshire pudding not fluffy? ›
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.
What causes Yorkshire puddings not to rise? ›
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.
How do you make Yorkshire pudding less dense? ›
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.
