It’s Yorkshire Pudding Day Soon: Make the Perfect Yorkshire Puds
Is there anything more tempting than a Yorkshire pudding? This classic British favourite is deceptively simple, given that its only ingredients are flour, eggs and milk. But don’t let the short ingredient list fool you; Yorkshire puddings are a classic dish for a reason!
In fact, there’s a very special day set aside for this equally special pud. It’s no coincidence that the first Sunday of February is Yorkshire Pudding Day (6 February this year), because then you’ll be able to celebrate with a hearty Sunday roast!
No Sunday roast is complete without Yorkshire puddings, especially homemade ones. Read on for our top tips for making the perfect Yorkshire puddings.
Let the Batter Rest
While there’s no harm in immediately cooking your Yorkshire puddings when you finish preparing the batter, there’s a good chance the resulting puddings won’t reach their true size potential. Instead, let the batter sit in the fridge for some time. This allows for airier, taller puddings that won’t fall flat the moment you take them out of the oven.
How long to let the batter rest? At least 30 minutes should do, but it’s better to leave your batter in the fridge for several hours. You can even rest your batter overnight for the best results.
Use the Correct Fat
The fat you use to cook your Yorkshire puddings is essential in successfully cooking your puds. Never use olive oil or butter, as these won’t reach the high temperature needed to give your Yorkshire puddings their characteristic puffiness. Instead, opt for vegetable oil or sunflower oil. You can even use lard or beef drippings to help your puddings rise and puff up properly.
Equal Volume Ratio of Ingredients
One of the key steps to getting perfect Yorkshire puddings is ensuring there is an equal volume ratio of all three ingredients. The word ‘volume’ should be emphasised, as you shouldn’t rely on the weight of the ingredients. This means, for example, using 300mL each of flour, eggs and milk, even if all three ingredients end up weighing differently.
Of course, you can play around with the ratios of ingredients to suit your own personal tastes, but the equal volume ratio is a tried-and-true method to get perfect Yorkshire puds every time.
More Water = Crispier Puddings
Adjusting the texture of your Yorkshire puddings often requires playing around with the ingredients. If you want taller, crispier puddings, you can add water into your batter. How much water is enough? Add just enough, along with your milk, to ensure the liquid to flour ratio of your batter remains equal.
Don’t Overfill – and Don’t Peek!
It might be instinct to fill your Yorkshire pudding tins all the way up to the top, but doing so will make your puddings too heavy to rise properly. Fill each tin hole just one-third of the way, which will keep your batter light enough that your puddings will achieve the perfect height.
Speaking of getting the perfect height, resist the urge to open the oven door to check on your puds. We promise, they’ll still be there! Opening the oven door too early can cause your puddings to deflate.
We hope with these tips you can cook up a tasty batch of Yorkshire puddings for Yorkshire Pudding Day! And don’t forget the rest of your Sunday roast, including the gravy and the roast beef.
Until next time…