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Yorkshire Pudding

A simple batter with one demand: a very hot pan and an oven door that stays shut.

By Hannah Thomas· 2025-03-12
Well-risen golden Yorkshire puddings

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

25 minutes

Serves

12

Difficulty

Moderate

Yorkshire pudding is a batter, not a mystery. The only trick is heat: the fat must be shimmering before the batter goes in, and the oven door must stay shut for the first twenty minutes.

The chemistry is straightforward — flour, eggs, milk, and steam. What rises is steam trapped in a setting protein web. Open the door early and you release the steam and collapse the pudding.

Rest the batter for at least thirty minutes before baking. This lets the flour hydrate fully and produces a lighter, crisper result. An hour is better still.

Cook them in a hot pan beneath the beef, or in a dedicated tin. They are the only thing that belongs with roast beef, and they are worth getting right.

Ingredients

  • •140g (1 cup) plain flour
  • •4 large eggs
  • •200ml milk
  • •Pinch of salt
  • •Beef dripping or vegetable oil

Method

  1. 1.Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well and crack in the eggs.
  2. 2.Whisk gradually, drawing in the flour, then slowly add the milk until you have a smooth, thin batter the consistency of single cream.
  3. 3.Rest the batter for at least 30 minutes — ideally an hour.
  4. 4.Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Put a teaspoon of dripping or oil into each cup of a muffin tin and place in the oven until shimmering hot.
  5. 5.Whisk the batter briefly, then pour into the hot tin, dividing evenly.
  6. 6.Bake for 20 minutes without opening the door, then reduce to 200°C (400°F) for a further 5 minutes until golden and crisp.
  7. 7.Serve immediately.

Make AheadMake the batter up to 12 hours ahead; keep covered in the fridge. Whisk briefly before using.

StorageBest eaten immediately. Re-crisp in a hot oven for 2 minutes if needed.

DietaryVegetarian (without beef dripping)

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