Yorkshire puddings are supposed to be dramatic. A simple batter of eggs, flour and milk goes into a hot tin and emerges with tall edges and a hollow middle ready for gravy. When they fail, the results are usually flat, heavy rounds of batter instead. The most common culprits are a cold tin, insufficient oven heat or opening the door before the puddings have set.
You don't need a secret ingredient. A hot oven, properly heated fat and a smooth batter do most of the work. This recipe makes eight generous Yorkshire puddings or more smaller ones, depending on the tin.
Ingredients for eight large puddings
You'll need 140g plain flour, four eggs, 200ml milk, a pinch of salt and a little sunflower or vegetable oil for the tin. Freshly ground pepper is optional.
These are the quantities used in Good Food's highly rated Yorkshire pudding recipe. Keeping flour, eggs and milk in a reliable balance gives you a batter that rises and sets without becoming dense.
Use plain flour, not self-raising flour. Adding raising agents is unnecessary and can produce a different, less desirable structure.
Choose the right tin
A sturdy metal Yorkshire pudding tin conducts heat well. A deep muffin tin also works if you want smaller portions.
Check the tin's suitability for the oven temperature. Some non-stick bakeware has maximum temperature limits that should not be exceeded.
Clean and dry the tin before adding fat. A wet tin with hot oil is an avoidable spattering hazard, especially when you're working at high heat.
Preheat the oven properly
Good Food's recipe uses 230°C conventional, 210°C fan or gas 8. Allow enough time for the oven to reach the required temperature before the batter goes in.
Place a small amount of neutral oil into each hole, then put the tin into the oven to heat. The fat should be thoroughly hot by the time you're ready to pour.
Don't overfill each hole with oil. A small pool is enough to coat the base and support the quick initial cooking of the batter.
Mix flour and eggs into a paste
Tip the measured plain flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well and add the eggs, then whisk until the mixture becomes relatively smooth.
Starting with flour and eggs before adding all the milk helps prevent dry pockets of flour hiding in the bowl.
A little lumpiness can be whisked out, but don't keep beating for ages once the batter is smooth. You're aiming for a pourable mixture, not a thick bread dough.
Add the milk gradually
Pour in the milk a little at a time while whisking. The mixture should loosen into a smooth batter that pours easily from a jug.
Scrape around the bottom and sides of the bowl so no flour remains. Add a pinch of salt and optional pepper.
You can pour the batter into a measuring jug at this point. The jug makes it easier to fill the hot tin quickly and evenly without making a mess on the oven shelf.
Should the batter rest?
Many cooks like to rest Yorkshire pudding batter before baking. It allows the flour to hydrate and can make the batter more convenient to prepare ahead.
Good Food's best Yorkshire puddings method does not require a long rest, while other recipes recommend chilling briefly. Both approaches can work when the oven and fat are properly heated.
If preparing batter in advance, cover it and follow safe chilled-storage guidance for mixtures containing raw egg. Stir briefly before pouring if it has settled.
Make sure the fat is hot
The tin should be heating in the oven while you mix or finish the batter. When ready, carefully remove it using suitable oven gloves or pull the shelf out if your oven design makes that safe.
The oil should be visibly hot, not sitting cold and thick at the bottom. A small drop of batter may sizzle immediately when it touches properly heated fat.
Work carefully. Hot oil in a metal tin is hazardous, so keep children and pets clear and avoid leaning over the tray.
Pour the batter promptly
Divide the mixture evenly between the eight holes. The exact level depends on the size of the tin, but don't fill each one right to the brim.
Pour smoothly and return the tin to the oven without delay. A jug with a narrow spout helps, particularly when making small puddings.
Try not to spill batter all over the tray's flat top. Burnt scraps around the holes can stick and make cleaning more difficult.
Leave the oven door closed
This is one of the biggest differences between tall puddings and flat ones. Once the tin is inside, do not open the door for the early part of the bake.
Cold air entering the oven can interrupt the rise before the batter's structure has set. Resist checking every two minutes simply because the puddings are fun to watch.
Good Food's recipe gives approximately 20–25 minutes for its eight large puddings. Use the oven light and window to judge colour where possible.
Check colour and firmness near the end
A finished Yorkshire pudding should have risen high, browned at the edges and developed a cooked rather than wet centre.
If your tin is deep or the puddings are unusually large, they may need longer. If the edges are dark but the base still looks pale and soft, the oven may be too hot for your particular tin.
Avoid turning them out while the inside is still wet batter. A cooked pudding may settle a little after removal, but it should retain a useful hollow shape.
Serve them while crisp
Remove the tin with oven gloves and lift the puddings using a suitable utensil. Place them on warm plates alongside the roast.
Pour gravy at the table if you want the edges to remain crisp until the moment of eating. A pudding swimming in gravy for ten minutes will soften.
Yorkshire puddings are not restricted to roast beef. They work with roast chicken, vegetable roasts and even sausages in a toad-in-the-hole style meal.
Why Yorkshire puddings go flat
Insufficient oven heat is a common reason. Check that the oven actually reaches its selected temperature and that the fat has preheated.
Opening the door too early can also interrupt the rise. Make sure you have everything else ready so you don't need to use the oven for another dish midway through baking.
An oversized, shallow pool of batter in each hole may produce a different shape from the tall hollow puddings you expect. Match the recipe to the tin.
Why they stick to the tin
The tin may not have been properly heated, the oil may have been insufficient or the surface may be damaged.
Allow a few moments after removing the tin before loosening gently with a suitable non-scratch utensil. Don't scrape forcefully with a knife against a non-stick coating.
For the next batch, clean the tin thoroughly, dry it and preheat the oil well. A dedicated sturdy pudding tin can be easier than a badly worn baking tray.
Can you make Yorkshire puddings in advance?
Yes. Good Food notes that cooked Yorkshire puddings can be cooled and frozen for up to about a month for best quality.
Cool them appropriately, pack in freezer-safe bags and reheat from frozen using a suitable high-heat oven method until hot and crisp.
Avoid leaving cooked egg-based batter products at room temperature for hours. Store and reheat with ordinary food-safety precautions.
What about gluten-free versions?
A gluten-free flour blend may produce Yorkshire puddings, but the mixture and cooking technique may differ. Use a recipe developed for the specific blend.
Don't simply replace plain wheat flour with any random flour and expect an identical rise. Different starches absorb liquid and set differently.
For someone with coeliac disease, pay attention to cross-contamination from tins, utensils and shared ingredients as well as the flour itself.
Make the next roast easier
Prepare the measured batter ingredients while the oven is heating and make sure the tin has time to become genuinely hot. The rest is a matter of working promptly and resisting the urge to inspect the puddings too soon.
Once you've made a successful batch, keep notes on your oven and tin. Those two variables can affect the result more than elaborate additions to the batter.
Hot fat, a smooth plain-flour batter and an undisturbed oven are the foundations of Yorkshire puddings that rise properly.