A Family Recipe
For many of us, the holidays are all about coming together with friends and family to celebrate another year coming to a close. Usually, these celebrations are full of good company and good food and drinks to match; and as cheesy as it sounds, few things taste as good as a family recipe. This recipe is one of those for me. My maternal grandmother (or Nana to us) was born in Belfast, and came over to Canada with her parents and siblings at the age of fifteen. Though she remained in Canada for the rest of her life, many traditions and customs from Ireland stayed with her. One of these traditions was the classic roast dinner, which was featured at pretty much any important occasion. My absolute favourite part of a roast dinner was (and still is) the mashed potatoes, but a close second was the Yorkshire pudding. And with a golden crust and pillowy inside making it the perfect vessel for gravy, what’s not to love? This blogpost features my nana’s Yorkshire pudding recipe, which we still use on a regular basis. Though Yorkshire pudding can be finnicky at times (even some of Nana’s didn’t go to plan), we have some tips and tricks to set you up for success. And if it takes a few attempts to perfect the Yorkshire pudding, as Nana always used to say, “That’s why we have gravy.”
Troubleshooting Yorkshire Puddings
Though the recipe for Yorkshire puddings seems relatively simple, there are lots of ways it can go wrong. This can make it an intimidating task, but we’ve compiled a list that should help make your puddings rise to the occasion.
Oven Temperature
When making Yorkshire puddings, it’s important the oven is quite hot. In this recipe, we set the temperature to 400°F and heat the oil before adding the batter, which is perhaps the most important step to making a successful Yorkshire pudding. This is because the Yorkshire pudding is a type of unleavened bread, meaning that it doesn’t use yeast to achieve its rise. Instead, the hot oil cooks the outer layer of the pudding, trapping the steam inside as it cooks. This results in a dramatic rise and a pudding with a crisp exterior and light, fluffy interior.
Batter Temperature
Like any batter, your ingredients should be room temperature before you mix them. This will make it easier to incorporate the ingredients fully and will result in a smoother batter. Just allow your milk and eggs to sit out on the counter for about half an hour before mixing your batter. Alternatively, you can set your eggs in a bowl of warm water to speed up the process.
The finished batter should also be room temperature when you add it to the hot oil, and there a couple of reasons for this. First, this will prevent the batter from splattering as it touches the hot oil. This will minimize the risk of burns in the kitchen. Second, the goal of making Yorkshire pudding this way is to dehydrate the outside of the pastry quickly so that the inside steams, and becomes fluffy and hollow. The warmer the batter is, the less of a temperature change it needs to undergo to hit a dehydrating level of heat. Therefore, lukewarm batter is not only safer to cook with, but results in a better pudding. To ensure your batter is at room temperature, mix it before turning on the oven and allow it to sit on the counter as you heat the oil.
Oil Smoke Point
When choosing an oil to use in this recipe, it’s tempting to use whatever you have on hand. However, it is important to consider the smoke point and flavour of the oil used. Since we are using a high temperature, an oil with a neutral flavour and high smoke point is ideal. This is a must, as an oil with a lower smoke point (like everyone’s favourite extra virgin olive oil) will simply burn the bottom of your puddings and can even cause them to stick to the tin. We used canola oil for this recipe, but some other options include:
- Grapeseed oil
- Avocado oil
- Sunflower oil
- Peanut oil
Minimizing Mess
Making Yorkshire puddings can be a messy business. As the batter cooks and the puddings rise, this will displace some of the oil in the tins, which can cause it to spill over the sides. This can bake the oil at the bottom of your oven, leaving you scraping off burnt on oil, which is a pain to say the least. There is also the risk of fire if you have a heat source on the bottom of your oven. Grease fires are no joke and can get out of hand quickly. If one crops up, it is important to not use water, as this will just spread the fire and make your problem worse. Instead, turn off the heat and extinguish the fire using baking soda. This will smother the flames without spreading the grease around. If the fire gets out of hand or if you feel you can't take care of it yourself, keep the oven closed and call the fire department. To avoid a mess and keep things safe, we like to put a large baking tray lined with tinfoil on the bottom rack of the oven. This way, they oil will drip on the tray instead of the bottom of oven, making things safer and easier to clean.
How to Make It
Prepare Your Batter
Add your eggs and milk to a bowl and whisk to combine. It is important to make sure they are at room temperature before mixing. This will make them easier to combine and will result in a smooth final batter.
While continuing to whisk, add your flour little by little until it is completely incorporated into the batter. Set the batter aside as you prepare the muffin tins. The batter recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to make a large batch of Yorkshire puddings.
Heat the Oven and Oil
Heat the oven to 400°F and add 1 tsp of oil to the bottom of each muffin tin. Be sure to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
Place the tray in the oven and bake it until the oil is hot. This should take 3-5 minutes.
Add Your Batter and Bake
Add your batter to the hot oil. Use 1/4 cup of batter for 6 large puddings or 2 tbs of batter for 12 smaller puddings.
Place the muffin tray in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the puddings are cooked through and golden. To ensure they are cooked through, poke the middle of the puddings with a toothpick or a cake tester. If it comes away clean, then they should be ready. If you find that your puddings are browning too quickly, then reduce the oven temperature. Once your puddings are ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before removing them from the tins. If making the puddings ahead, they can easily be reheated in a microwave or the oven.
Yorkshire Pudding
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- Salt to taste
- 2-4 tbs neutral oil
- Muffin pan
- Bowl
- Whisk
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and flour until well-combined. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add 1 tsp of oil to the bottoms of each tin. Place the muffin tray in the oven and allow to cook until the oil is hot (3-5 minutes).
- Remove the tray of the oven and add the batter to the hot oil. Use 1/4 cup of batter for 6 large puddings and 2 tbs of batter for 12 smaller puddings.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 400°F or until the puddings are cooked through and golden.
- Allow to cool before removing the puddings from the tray.