Dutch Baby Pancake

Before you start

A Dutch baby is a thin egg batter poured into a very hot buttered skillet and baked until it balloons up the sides. The edges set into crisp, browned walls while the center stays tender and custardy. It is close kin to a popover and a Yorkshire pudding, and it deflates gently once it leaves the oven; that sinking is normal.

The puff depends on heat. The skillet must be fully preheated in the oven, so the butter sizzles the moment the batter hits it. Room-temperature eggs and milk also help, because cold batter cools the pan. Blend the batter until perfectly smooth, and keep the oven door shut for at least the first 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs — room temperature
• 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk — room temperature
• 65 g (½ cup, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• To serve lemon wedges and powdered sugar, or berries and maple syrup

Method

1. Place the skillet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Let the skillet heat for at least 10 minutes after the oven reaches temperature.
2. Blend the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt and vanilla for 20 to 30 seconds, until completely smooth and slightly frothy. Let the batter rest while the skillet heats.
3. Carefully pull out the skillet and add the butter. Swirl until it melts and foams; it should sizzle immediately. Brush or tilt it up the sides of the pan.
4. Pour the batter into the center of the hot butter all at once and return the skillet to the oven immediately.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes without opening the door for the first 15. The pancake is done when the edges have climbed high, are deep golden brown and crisp, and the center is set and lightly browned in spots.
6. Serve at once. It will settle within a minute or two. Dust with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon over it, or top with fruit and syrup.

Tips for success

• A blender gives a smoother batter and a more even puff than whisking by hand. If whisking, whisk the eggs well before adding flour gradually to avoid lumps.
• Do not use a larger pan without increasing the batter; a thin layer in a big pan bakes flat and dry.
• Warm cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes, and microwave the milk for 15 seconds.

Substitutions

Whole milk

2% milk works with a slightly less tender center. Oat milk or another unsweetened plant milk works, though browning may differ.

All-purpose flour

A cup-for-cup gluten-free blend makes a good puff, but the edges are crisper and less chewy.

Cast-iron skillet

Any 25 cm oven-safe skillet or a 23 cm (9 in) round metal cake pan works. Glass and ceramic heat more slowly, so preheat them longer and expect a lower rise.

Variations

Apple Dutch baby

Sauté 1 thinly sliced apple in the butter with 1 tbsp brown sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon in the skillet on the stove for 3 to 4 minutes, then pour the batter over and bake.

Savory Dutch baby

Omit the sugar and vanilla, add a pinch of pepper and 2 tbsp grated Parmesan to the batter, and serve with ham and a green salad.

Troubleshooting

The pancake did not puff

The skillet or butter was not hot enough, or the batter was cold. Preheat the pan fully and use room-temperature ingredients.

Soggy, eggy center

Underbaked. Bake until the center looks set and dry with some browned patches; it should not jiggle.

Burnt butter taste

The butter sat in the hot pan too long. Add it just before the batter and pour within 30 seconds.

Storage

A Dutch baby is meant to be eaten right away. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days; rewarm in a skillet or toaster oven. It will not puff again.

Safety notes

Use mitts for the skillet handle; cast iron stays dangerously hot long after it leaves the oven. Bake until the center is fully set, as this is an egg dish. Contains egg, wheat and milk.