BAKE: How to Make Classic Yorkshire Pudding
A classic Yorkshire pudding is the traditional accompaniment to a Sunday roast. This simple baked pudding recipe is more delicious than it has a right to be, given its homely everyday ingredients. It’s equally at home on a weeknight dinner table or a grand holiday meal straight out of your wildest Dickensian dreams, alongside your roast goose or giant turkey. Best of all, this Yorkshire pudding recipe takes almost no time at all to whip up, using basic kitchen staples you probably already have in your pantry.
From this same basic batter, you can make popovers (in a popover or muffin pan) or Toad in a Hole (baked Yorkshire pudding with English sausages). It’s also a terrific side dish for a hearty salad or a simple soup supper.
It’s on of our favorite sides on a cold winter’s night (whether or not the snow is so deep, or “the frosty wind made moan“, as the carols go). One bite of this crisp and tender buttery baked good, and the winds may not be the only thing moaning! It’s oh so easy to make but tastes absolutely decadent.
Classic Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients
Flour:
Use all purpose unbleached flour, or a blend of all purpose and whole wheat flour in your Yorkshire pudding batter. The latter will make a denser pudding that isn’t quite as lofty or airy, but it’s still substantial and delicious, and a nice side for a hearty soup or stew on a cold night.
Milk:
Fresh or slightly sour (not spoiled) whole milk is best, though you can use 2%. This is a simple batter though, so the richness of whole milk helps give structure and flavor to the baked pudding. Use good ingredients as you will taste the difference!
Eggs:
Use large fresh eggs, at room temperature. If you take them straight out of the fridge, you can run them under warm or hot water to take the chill off. I use two large eggs, or three small to medium eggs in my pudding batter.
Fat:
Traditionally, a cook would use the rendered fat from a roasted joint of meat (usually mutton, lamb, or roast beef). This would add richness and flavor to the pudding as it soaked up all the rich flavors from the roast. Most people nowadays use butter, though if you have rendered fat in your fridge or are making a roast, by all means, try replacing some or all of the butter with fat. Tallow, golden yellow shmaltz, or good-flavored freshly rendered lard can be really nice, especially if you’re serving this as an accompaniment to a savory dish. If you can spare any from the gravy pot, try this when you roast your next holiday bird, whether turkey, duck, or goose.
Salt:
Any salt that you prefer can work here. I usually use flaky kosher salt, or sometimes Himalayan pink salt or sea salt. Use a little less of a finer salt like sea salt, Himalayan, or regular table salt, since the kosher salt takes up more volume in the measuring spoon.
Equipment & Method for Baked Yorkshire Pudding
Medium Mixing Bowl:
Just large enough to whisk your batter well, a one to two quart bowl will do.
Whisk:
You can make this without one (or even mix your batter briefly in a blender) but a standard wire whisk makes a quick job of whipping the eggs and removing any flour lumps from your pudding batter.
Cast iron skillet or heavy ceramic baking pan:
Traditionally, the Yorkshire pudding batter would be baked in the roasting pan after the roast and any vegetables were removed to rest before carving and place in serving dishes for the table. You can do this if you’re making a roast in a suitably sized pan, but usually I just bake mine in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. You can also use a ceramic baking dish or heavy metal baking pan, but I love the nice crispy edges and beautiful loft I get when baking it in a preheated cast iron pan.
How to Make Classic Yorkshire Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (or 3 small to medium eggs)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour (or a blend of whole wheat and AP flour)
- ¾ tsp flaky kosher salt (or ½ tsp fine salt)
- ¼ cup butter, roast drippings, or shmaltz
Instructions
- Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 ℉. Put the heavy iron pan or casserole dish in the oven to preheat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, and salt to make a smooth, thin batter. Set aside and let the batter rest at least 10 and up to 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to a day in the fridge.
- Melt the butter or fat in the preheated pan, and leave it until it is hot and bubbly (but don't let it burn).
- Pour the pudding batter over the fat in the skillet or baking dish. The butter will pool up and around the batter- this is fine. You can swirl it in or spread it gently with a spatula but do not mix- it will bake into the batter leaving lovely crispy edges and a golden crust.
- Bake immediately. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 ℉ after the first five minutes. Keep the oven door closed while the pudding is baking to trap the steam and you will get a better puff on your pudding.
- Bake until the pudding batter is golden brown on top and puffed around the edges the center is set, about 25-30 minutes. Baking time will vary based on your oven and pan size and type.
- Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately, hot from the oven. Pudding will deflate as it cools, like a souffle.