Lightly crispy and fluffy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle and gorgeously golden-brown in colour, a perfect Yorkshire pudding is almost a work of art – but as even the most accomplished chefs will know, they’re really not easy to master.
We’ve all experienced the disappointment of limp, flat, burnt or even runny Yorkshire puddings, but don’t be disheartened; with a little troubleshooting, you too can be a Yorkshire pudding pro!
The annual Yorkshire Day takes place each year on 1st August, but with our Yorkshire pudding secrets (and science) below, you can enjoy pudding perfection at any time of year. Do you have any tips for flawless Yorkshire puddings more to add to our list? Leave us a comment below, or send us a tweet @BunzlLockhart – if you don’t mind sharing!
Adding water to the batter will make your puddings lighter and crispier
Yorkshire puddings are made up of the basic ingredients of flour, eggs, and milk, but some recipes call for water to be added to the batter too. The general rule of thumb is that substituting some, or even half of the milk in your recipe for water will make your puddings lighter and crispier, so try this modification if your puds are too dense or soft.
The amount of eggs that you use matters, too – use an equal amount of flour, eggs and milk or water. For six servings of Yorkshire puddings, you should use four large eggs.
The batter must have the consistency of single cream
Start with the flour and eggs, and then add your milk (and water if you wish) gradually until you achieve the desired consistency. Then leave the batter at room temperature for around 15 minutes – enough time for you to heat the pudding tin and fat in the oven, ready for baking.
All lumps must be completely removed from the batter
A lumpy Yorkshire pudding batter could never a perfect pudding make, so use a large balloon whisk to beat the batter thoroughly and get plenty of air into the mixture. If you really want to remove every tiny lump, pour it through a fine metal strainer, then give it one last whisk.
The fat must be smoking hot in the pan before you cook the batter
If your Yorkshire pudding tin isn’t hot enough before the batter is added, all attempts are destined to flop – so add fat or oil to the tin, and heat in the top of the oven at 230?C for 10 minutes first (and keep it at that temperature when cooking). It must be smoking hot before you pour in the pudding mixture, and the batter should sizzle when you drop an oil into the fat. Keep the tin hot on the hob as you add the mixture.
Speaking of the fat, traditionally Yorkshire puddings are made with beef fat or lard, but a vegetarian and vegan-friendly option is to use vegetable oil (never olive oil or butter), which can be heated to the required high temperature without burning.
The Yorkshire pudding tins must not be over-filled
Over-filling your Yorkshire pudding tin will lead to heavy puddings, which won’t rise to lofty heights. Whether you’re making individual Yorkshire puddings or a large pud to carve up, only fill the tin about a third of the way for optimum puds.
Never open the oven door during cooking
For Yorkshire puddings to soar, the temperature must too – so never open the oven door when they are cooking, to keep the oven as hot as possible. If opening the oven door is absolutely essential your Yorkshire puddings won’t be ruined, but they just won’t rise as much as they should.
For everything you need to whip up picture-perfect Yorkshire puddings, take a look at our range of Catering Appliances to find the ideal oven for your restaurant kitchen, plus our huge Kitchen Equipment collection for whisks, mixing bowls, Yorkshire pudding tins and much more.
Do you have any Yorkshire pudding tips of your own to add to our list? Or have you found any of ours helpful? Let us know by sending us a tweet @BunzlLockhart!
