Description
Classic Popovers are light, airy, and golden-brown baked pastries perfect as a side dish or snack. This easy-to-make recipe uses simple ingredients like flour, milk, eggs, and butter to create popovers with a crisp exterior and soft interior. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or alongside soups, these American-style popovers are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven with butter, jam, or honey.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
Additional
- Extra butter or oil for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and place a popover pan or muffin tin inside to heat up with the oven. This helps create the steam needed for popovers to rise properly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt to evenly distribute the salt and aerate the flour.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the room temperature eggs and whole milk until well combined and smooth, ensuring they incorporate air for better rise.
- Make Batter: Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking continuously to avoid lumps and form a smooth batter. Then stir in the melted unsalted butter evenly throughout the batter.
- Rest Batter: Allow the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. This resting period hydrates the flour and helps develop a better texture in the popovers.
- Grease Hot Pan: Carefully remove the preheated pan from the oven and generously grease each cup with butter or oil to prevent sticking and promote browning.
- Fill Pan: Pour the batter into each greased cup, filling about halfway to leave room for the popovers to expand during baking.
- Bake at High Temperature: Bake the popovers at 450°F (232°C) for 15 minutes. This initial high heat creates steam that causes the popovers to puff up dramatically.
- Reduce Temperature and Continue Baking: Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the popovers are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through.
- Release Steam and Serve: Once baked, remove the popovers from the oven and immediately pierce each with a knife to let out steam, preventing sogginess. Serve warm with butter, jam, or honey.
Notes
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of grated cheese or fresh herbs such as thyme or chives to the batter before baking.
- Do not open the oven door during baking, as this can cause popovers to deflate.
- Serve popovers fresh out of the oven for the best texture; they tend to lose their crispness upon cooling.
- Use room temperature eggs and milk to help batter mix smoothly and rise well.
