Best Yorkshire pudding recipe

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 4 eggs
• 300ml milk – whole milk preferably
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

Method

A classic British recipe that’s traditionally served with roast beef, Yorkshire puddings have a reputation for being tricky to get right despite being such a simple recipe.

The key to making perfect Yorkshire puddings is to let the batter rest before pouring it into smoking-hot fat and then placing in a really hot oven to cook. And don’t open the oven door until fully cooked otherwise the puddings will deflate.

Yorkshire puddings make the perfect accompaniment to roast meats such as roast turkey with giblet gravy and roast pork with fennel, onions and apples.

So ditch buying ready-made puddings; our fool-proof simple Yorkshire pudding recipe will give you the confidence to serve up deliciously golden, crisp and risen Yorkshire puddings every time. And if you're catering for multiple dietary requirements you can also try this recipe for vegan Yorkshire puddings.

How to make classic Yorkshire puddings

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and half the milk, then mix until smooth.

2. Gradually add the rest of the milk, continuing to whisk until it has the thin consistency of single cream.

3. Transfer the batter to a jug and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

4. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 9.

5. When ready to cook, take a non-stick, 12-hole muffin tin and add a teaspoon of oil to each hole. Place the tin at the top of your hot oven and leave for 10 minutes or so until the oil is piping hot.

6. Carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and pour in the batter between half and three-quarters the way up each hole. You should hear a sizzle as the batter hits the hot oil. Then place the tin back in oven and reduce temperature immediately to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

7. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Serve immediately.

Can you freeze homemade Yorkshire puddings?

Yes, you can freeze Yorkshire puddings. You can make Yorkies ahead of time and then freeze them until needed, perfect for when you're only cooking for one or two.

Once the Yorkshire puddings come out of the oven, allow them to cool completely on a wire rack then pop them into a container or a tightly sealed freezer bag, and freeze for up to one month.

Reheating Yorkshire puddings from frozen

To cook these Yorkshire puddings from frozen: heat oven to 220°C /200°C fan/Gas 7, place the frozen puddings on a baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes until hot and crisp, being careful not to let them burn.

Can you freeze Yorkshire pudding batter?

You can freeze Yorkshire pudding mix, just pop it into a tupperware tub or strong freezer bag. Remove from the freezer the night before you plan on cooking it and let it defrost in the fridge overnight. Once defrosted you shouldn't refreeze it, so split the batter into the right volumes for your needs before freezing.

How do you stop Yorkshire puddings sticking to the pan?

A reader writes: I always make my own Yorkshire puddings and they rise a treat but although I use a non-stick pan, they stick and I can’t get them out whole – help.

Our reply: As your Yorkshire pudding batter recipe obviously works perfectly, giving well-risen, crusty puddings, it must be the bakeware you are using.

Perhaps the non-stick surface has lost its effectiveness. Even with non-stick bakeware for Yorkshire puddings it's worth adding a little oil or dripping to each one, swirling it around the sides.

Place the tray on the top shelf of a very hot oven until smoking.

Then pour the batter to fill three-quarters the way up the moulds and immediately return to the top shelf and bake until the puddings are puffed and golden.

They should slip out of the moulds with no problem.

What's the best oil for Yorkshire puddings?

Because you need your oil to get really hot the oil you use is important. Vegetable and sunflower are the best choices because they have a high smoke point and a mild flavour.

Should you wash your Yorkshire pudding tins?

There has been long, ongoing debate about whether or not to wash the tins you use for your Yorkshire puddings, and perhaps unsurprisingly there is no right or wrong answer. It will largely depend on how often you use your tins, what kind of tins they are and whether you intend on using the pans with other foods, for example sweet foods like muffins.

The idea of not cleaning cookware, known as 'seasoning', comes from traditional cast iron pan pans which were prone to rusting when wet. Building up the oil would also create a non-stick coating when the hot fat reacts with the metal.

With modern non-stick cookware this is less of an issue, although plenty of people still prefer to have a dedicated seasoned Yorkshire pudding pan.

Visit our cooking tips section for more kitchen help and advice, or visit our section for British recipes for more classic recipes.

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