This simple recipe for popovers doesn’t require any special equipment. They can be made in a muffin tin and produce exceptionally light and airy results!
I have a slight obsession with delicious doughy treats. And these popovers? My goodness. They are SO delicious and doughy. Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’ve been eating an average of 3 a day this past week and it’s been absolutely glorious. They’re just so light and airy and tender in the middle but soo crispy on the outside. We’ve been eating them plain, slathered with butter and jam, doused with maple brown butter, dipping them in soup, and then stuffing them with melted chocolate chips for dessert. These popovers can do just about anything, and they can be yours in just a few simple steps.
Years back I started hearing a bunch of hubbub about popovers, but I’d never had one before, so I gave my best attempt at making them. I don’t remember the recipe I used, but they were nothing to write home about. I chalked it up to not using a proper popover pan. But, man, I was so wrong.
Those popovers were very eggy, a little tough and deflated minutes after they came out of the oven. I had all about forgotten about popovers until I heard the fine folks over at America’s Test Kitchen discuss them on their radio show. They found that when they used whole milk in the recipe, the extra fat weighed down the popovers and kept them from rising to their full potential. To solve the problem, they recommend using 1% low fat milk instead. Eureka!
In addition to calling for low fat milk, their recipe also calls for using bread flour, which has a higher protein content than regular flour. The reasoning is that the higher protein provides more structure to the popovers, so they rise higher, get crispier and hold their shape better. The other little trick they use is poking the tops with a skewer to release the steam and prevent them from collapsing. Genius, I tell you. So, so genius.
Oh, and about that specialty popover pan? Supposedly it will get you even better results, but I could never justify owning such a bulky, unitasking piece of equipment when a multitasking muffin tin gets the job done just fine. My muffin tin popovers came out better than I had ever dreamed. They baked up sky high, light, crispy and airy. Not too eggy. Just enough to make them rich and fluffy inside, and caramelized and browned on the outside.
These popovers, much like most delicious carby treats, hold up exceptionally well in the freezer. That’s where I’ve been keeping mine, and every morning I pop one out for breakfast. After 5 minutes in the toaster oven, they’re as amazing as they were when they first came out of the oven.
One Year Ago: Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
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This simple recipe for popovers doesn’t require any special equipment. They can be made in a muffin tin and produce exceptionally light and airy results! Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups 1% low fat milk (1% is best, but 2% is okay if you have it already)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups bread flour
- vegetable shortening* or cooking spray for greasing pans
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add in the milk, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve and the milk is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until they’re light and frothy, about 3 minutes.
- Sift in the flour, one cup at a time, and whisk until no lumps remain. Cover the batter and let rest for one hour.***
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then grease the outer 10 muffin cups on a pan, leaving the inner two cups ungreased. Place the muffin tin in the oven to heat up for about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the muffin tin from the oven, then whisk the batter to recombine. Pour the batter into the cups about 1/4 inch away from the top, leaving the middle two cups empty. This will ensure even cooking, and you may have some batter leftover.
- Bake, without opening the oven door until browned, about 15-20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees, and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Use a skewer to poke a small hole in the top of each popover, return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
- Remove popovers from the pan and serve immediately.
Notes
- *I use non hydrogenated vegetable shortening such as Spectrum Organic. Butter is not recommended for greasing the pans due to it’s water content.
- **Batter can be refrigerated for up to one day. Bring to room temperature before baking.
- Freeze leftover popovers in an airtight ziptop bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in the toaster oven for best results.
Keywords: popovers, yorkshire pudding, breakfast, side, bread, brunch, easy
Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer.
These look so good! I’ve never tried popovers before but I am TOTALLY giving this a whirl 🙂
Ahhh you MUST give them a try!! They’re like little crispy air clouds.
I’ve always wanted to make popovers but don’t have the pan.. I found your video on YouTube and tried this tonight to go with our Irish lamb stew. They were really, really good! Mine didn’t collapse like yours did, but once you broke into them they are soft and hollow inside. I’ll definitely make these again – they are so easy, and I am terrible about planning ahead to make real bread, so these are a definite hit with me! Thanks for posting them!
I’m so glad they turned out well!! I absolutely fell in love with this recipe, and I’m happy you did too! 🙂