The best popovers are tender and soft on the inside with a thin, crispy outside. Make them plain, savory or sweet and serve them with custard, jam or butter. Make a batch now and freeze some for later, to serve at your holiday table, alongside a Sunday roast, or for a light breakfast
Popovers, the feather-light buns with soft, egg-shaped, almost hollow cores and a crispy golden coating, are the American answer to Yorkshire pudding.
You can make popovers without a popover pan
A popover pan is deeper than a muffin pan and has straight sides, but you don’t need one to make popovers. You can just as easily prepare these in muffin cases. They won’t be as big as those cooked in a special pan — in fact, their baked shapes are unpredictably crooked (charmingly).
Regardless of the shape, you want to eat them right out of the oven while they’re still hot inside, just waiting to be buttered.
Tips for perfect popovers
Making popover batter is EASY! If you don’t use kitchen appliances, you can just whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. I personally find that using a blender gets the job done quickly and efficiently, so I went down that route for this recipe. Both methods will work fine.
- Skinny for victory! The batter is thinner than you would expect from something baked in a muffin tin. If you’ve ever made crepes, this is it.
- Skip preheat: Many popover recipes require you to heat the pan in the oven before filling the cups with batter – I didn’t find this necessary. (I’ve tested both ways with similar results.)
- Don’t cheat! Once the popovers are in the oven, resist the urge to open the oven door and check out their progress. The closed door encourages vapor that creates the famous popover puff. If you open the door you lose the steam and the draft.
Ways to flavor popovers
You can leave popovers plain, or add fresh herbs or cheese for a savory version to serve with soup or fried chicken. If you’re craving something sweet, you can add citrus zest, more sugar, or extracts.
How to make savory popovers:
- thyme
- rosemary
- oregano
- chives
- Gruyere
- Cheddar
To make cute popovers add an additional tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla along with any of the following:
- Orange peel
- Lemon peel
- Brush baked popovers with melted butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
What to serve with popovers
Popovers go great with soup, salad, or with fried chicken, roast beef, or anything you would serve with a bun.
They also make a great breakfast treat, dusted with powdered sugar and served with butter and jam. Afternoon pick-me-up with coffee or tea, anyone?
Be sure to serve these hot straight from the oven or reheat at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes.
How to store and reheat popovers
You can make the batter ahead of time and bake the popovers the next day, or prepare a batch to finish and freeze for later, or keep a few on your counter. Check out the tips below to keep your popovers fresh.
- progress: You can prepare the dough and store it in the fridge for up to a day before baking. Simply allow the batter to come to room temperature and whip it well or swirl it in the mixer for a few seconds before pouring it into the muffin liners.
- To store: Store baked and refrigerated popovers in a ziptop bag for up to a day. They’re still edible after a day, but they don’t taste as fresh anymore. Heat them on a baking sheet at 350°F for five to 10 minutes.
- Freeze: Store fully baked and cooled popovers in a zip-top bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Do you need some carbs in your life? Look no further
- Parker house rolls
- Make-ahead dinner rolls
- potato bread
- Lucia saffron rolls
- Angel Biscuits
popovers
ingredients
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Butter to grease the muffin cases
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3 large eggs
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1 cup milk (skim, 2% or whole milk)
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon of sugar
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
method
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Preheat the oven to 425°F:
Place an oven rack on the bottom third of the oven. On a standard muffin tin, lightly grease the base, sides, and space between the liners with butter.
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Bring ingredients to room temperature:
Place the eggs in a bowl of hot water to cover for 10 minutes. In a microwave-safe mug, heat cold milk for 30 seconds or until warm to the touch. (Alternatively, heat the milk in a saucepan on the stove.)
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Mix dough:
Break the eggs into the blender. Add the milk, salt, sugar and flour and mix for 30 seconds or until smooth and fluffy. Add the melted butter and mix to combine. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl.
How to measure ingredients for baking successCONTINUE READING:
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Bake the popovers:
Pour the batter into the muffin liners, filling each liner a little more than halfway. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven without opening the door for 20 minutes. It is important not to look into the oven during the baking process. You need the steam in the oven for the popovers to rise.
Turn the oven down to 350°F and bake 8 minutes longer.
Now you can watch! Open the oven and check if the popovers are brown enough. If not, bake an additional 5 minutes or until puffy and deep golden brown.
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Surcharge:
Popovers are best served warm from the oven. Serve them like a bun for dinner or enjoy them with butter and jam for breakfast.
