Tall, Hollow Popovers

Before you start

A popover is an egg-rich batter of flour, milk and eggs with no chemical leavening. It rises entirely on steam: a thin batter poured into a hot, greased pan sets on the outside while water inside flashes to vapor and pushes the walls up and out, leaving a crisp shell around a hollow, custardy center. Popovers are the American cousin of the Yorkshire pudding, usually baked in butter rather than meat drippings and served with butter and jam.

Collapse is the common complaint, and it nearly always means the walls had not set before the steam escaped. Three things prevent it: a preheated pan, a long first stretch at high heat with the door kept shut, and a lower-temperature finish that dries the shells. Piercing each popover at the end lets trapped steam out so the walls stay rigid as they cool.

Ingredients

• 125 g (1 cup, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk — warmed to about 40°C (105°F)
• 3 large eggs — room temperature
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted — for the batter
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter — cut into 6 pieces, for the pan

Method

1. Blend or whisk the eggs, warm milk and melted butter until frothy. Add the flour and salt and blend for 20 to 30 seconds, or whisk until no lumps remain. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. Pour it into a jug and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, set a rack in the lower third of the oven and remove any rack above it, since popovers rise well above the pan. Put the empty popover pan on the rack and heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) for at least 15 minutes.
3. Take the hot pan out and drop a piece of butter into each cup. It should melt and sizzle immediately. Brush or swirl to coat the sides.
4. Stir the batter briefly and pour it into the cups, filling each about half full. Work quickly so the pan stays hot.
5. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. The popovers will rise dramatically and start to brown.
6. Lower the oven to 175°C (350°F), still without opening the door, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until deep golden brown and firm to the touch on the sides. Pale popovers will deflate.
7. Quickly pierce the side of each popover with a paring knife to let steam escape, then return the pan to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to dry the insides. Turn them out and serve right away.

Tips for success

• Warm milk and room-temperature eggs help the batter heat faster in the oven, which gives more spring. Cold batter can be used but rises less.
• Use the oven light to watch them rather than opening the door. A rush of cool air in the first 30 minutes is the most common cause of collapsed popovers.
• Muffin tins work: fill 12 cups half full and bake 15 minutes at 230°C (450°F), then 10 to 12 minutes at 175°C (350°F). The popovers will be shorter but just as crisp.

Substitutions

Whole milk

2% milk works with slightly less rich, a little less browned popovers. Skim milk gives thinner, paler walls.

All-purpose flour

Bread flour gives taller, sturdier, chewier walls. Whole wheat flour weighs the batter down and reduces the rise noticeably; replace no more than a quarter.

Butter in the pan

Neutral oil or beef drippings can be used. Drippings give a savory, Yorkshire-style flavor; oil gives the crispest shell.

Variations

Gruyère and thyme popovers

Add ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves to the batter. Drop 1 tablespoon grated Gruyère into each cup after the batter, then bake as usual.

Strawberry butter

Mash 115 g softened butter with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam and a pinch of salt. Serve with hot popovers.

Troubleshooting

Popovers collapsed after baking

They came out underbaked or the door was opened too early. Bake until deep brown, keep the door shut for the first 35 minutes, and pierce them to release steam.

Low, dense popovers

The pan was not hot, the batter was too thick, or the cups were overfilled. Preheat the pan, aim for a heavy-cream consistency and fill only halfway.

Lopsided rise

Uneven heat or uneven filling. Fill each cup to the same level and rotate the pan only during the final drying minutes.

Storage

Popovers are at their best within minutes of baking. Leftovers keep in a loosely closed bag at room temperature for a day; reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes to crisp them. Batter can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; bring it to room temperature before baking.

Safety notes

Raw batter contains egg and flour; do not taste it. Handle the preheated pan and sizzling butter with oven mitts. Contains wheat, egg and milk.