popovers

40 minutes/moderately easy and easier the more you bake these!/6 servings
nutrition per serving:
281 calories, 9g protein, 26g carbs, 14g fat, 3g sugar

ingredients

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1½ cups milk, at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt until no streaks of egg white remain.
2. Add the flour and whisk to combine, then whisk in the melted butter until smooth.
3. Let the batter rest while the oven preheats.
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F and position a rack in the lower third of the oven to give the popovers room to GROW!
5. Generously grease one 12-cup or two 6-cup popover pans with melted butter.
6. When the oven is preheated, place the prepared popover pans (I use a sheet pan/cookie sheet under the popover tray for easy transport!) in the oven and bake for 2 minutes.
7. Remove the hot pans from the oven and carefully fill them about 3/4ths full. The batter should SIZZLE as you pour it!
8. Immediately place the tray on the low oven rack and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (do not open the oven door) and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the popovers are puffed, golden brown and crisp.
9. Carefully remove the tray of popovers from the oven and pop them out of the tray onto a flat surface to cool a little.
10. Pierce the tops with a sharp knife to release the steam, then serve immediately.

notes

So I’ve tried making popovers twice. The first time was just ok – I have found so many different recipes online, and I followed one that was on a popular website so I thought it was going to be a good one. It was just ok. Why? There are subtle and not so subtle differences to making a tray of popovers a success.
The second time I made these, they came out a lot better. The popovers rose pretty high and the texture was better compared to my first batch (More airy as opposed to a bit chewy).

So what are some options while cooking that will change the outcome? Ah, so glad you asked…

Heat of the Oven:

Preheating your oven to 450°F is crucial for achieving perfectly risen popovers, as this optimal temperature ensures the liquid in the batter quickly turns to steam, allowing the popovers to expand before their crust sets, creating a light and airy texture.
And don’t rely on your stove dials to tell you that you are at 450°F. – Use one of those simple oven thermometers, placed on the oven rack, to find out for sure. A lot of times your oven says it is at a certain temperature but it’s a bit less than it says.

What kind of tray you use:

You can get popover trays online, or you can use a muffin tin or ceramic ramekins. Ideally, the popover tray is deeper and more spread out, so you will get bigger sized popovers using the real deal, but don’t fret if you have muffin tins or ramekins. They will ALL still taste delish! I bought 2 different tray sizes on Amazon and have yet to use the smaller one. I need to try that one – it should make cute little popovers!

I also place a sheetpan under the popover tray before I put it in the oven. I think it’s easier to hold onto the sheetpan compared to the popover tray, especially when it’s hot!

Should you use ingredients at room temperature or no?

Big fat yes. Using cold ingredients makes your batter take longer to steam in the oven, and you want to get that steam working ASAP. Let the eggs and milk sit on the counter for 30 minutes before assembling your batter.

Blend the ingredients by hand or with a blender? Small lumps of batter or smooth batter?

I’ve read both ways works fine. I use a whisk to mix the ingredients. Whisk the ingredients enough so that there are no lumps. You want a smooth batter.

Refrigerate the batter or not?

I haven’t refrigerated my batter, but I have read that refrigerating the batter for an hour (and even over night) helps the batter become velvety and allows the air bubbles to release, creating a lighter, more delicate popover. I’ll have to try this next time and I’ll let you know if it makes a noticeable difference!

How full do you fill each cup on the tray? 2/3rds full? 3/4ths full?

I think 3/4ths full is good, but you can play around with how much goes in each cup. You want enough batter so when the popover “pops” – the popovers “grow” pretty high.

What do you use to grease the tray?

I’ve read that melted butter, vegetable oil, cooking spray and beef drippings have been used. Cooking spray is the most convenient but think of it THIS way – you want something that’ll make the popovers taste good from the bottom up! I use melted butter, using a brush to evenly coat each cup.

Should you heat the trays in the screaming hot oven prior to filling them with batter?

Um, YES. Hot oven, hot trays. Steam, bake, POP. Just do it. You will need to heat those pans up for 2 minutes or so before taking them out and filling them with batter. Then back in the oven! And do NOT burn yourself taking the trays in and out of the oven.

Open the oven door during baking to put a slit on the sides of the popovers to let some steam out of them or wait until after they are out of the oven to release the steam? Or should you bother with this at all?

Whatever you do, do NOT open the oven door while these popovers are baking. You will pause the baking, adding cool air into the oven. Let the popovers pop, take them out of the oven, remove them from the tray, let them cool a little, and then you can poke each of the a little to get a little steam out. They WILL collapse just a bit, but try to make these popovers RIGHT before serving your meal so that they are fresh and hot!

What do you serve popovers with?

I have made these popovers to accompany a big roast. Nothing like dipping these goodies into the gravy. (You may have heard these popovers called “Yorkshire pudding.”) I have also read that they are AWESOME served as a breakfast meal, complete with your favorite butter or jam. Popovers are also used as a dessert (like strawberry shortcake, for example). I’ve also read that you can add herbs to your popovers, add perhaps some flavored butter and cinnamon to the top after they bake, add your favorite cheese or add certain meats (like sausage) into the batter! I’m sure there are lots of ways to use popovers to create a delicious dish.

Let me know how YOU make your popovers and what dishes you create!