Yorkshire pudding is a traditional Christmas treat for us. The rich, decadent taste and texture is belied by the simplicity of the ingredients. The trick is careful preparation. Time, temperature, thorough integration of ingredients, and prompt service are the keys to success. If you’ve ever been subjected to a soggy, tasteless rendition of this delightful dish, there’s been a failure in those executions.
Our recipe comes from an older edition of The Joy of Cooking, from which I learned to make this dish over four decades ago.
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Note that the whole process takes a couple of hours due to needed rests and temperature changes for the batter, so plan accordingly. In something this simple, ingredient freshness and quality is paramount; made with Bob’s Red Mill flour, and local eggs, milk, and fat, it’s a far superior dish to one done otherwise. You may double the recipe for a larger batch with good success.
Note that we use milk and water in even proportion. You may use milk only if you wish; that will make for a softer pudding with a somewhat less crisp skin.
1 Cup Unbleached, All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1/2 Cup Water
2 large Eggs
Thoroughly combine the flour and salt in a deep, non-reactive mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the water and milk. Whisk briskly to combine until smooth and uniform.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs and whisk with a hand or stick blender until eggs are frothy and several times their initial volume, (you could call this a bit below a soft peak for texture).
Add eggs to the flour mix and begin blending with a hand or stick blender on relatively low speed. Blend until you get roughly 1/2″ bubbles rising through the batter, about 5 – 7 minutes.
Cover the bowl the bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
After the chilled rest, bring the batter out and allow it to return to room temperature. The cold rest helps the batter fully integrate the flour, and allows for better gluten formation which aids the rise. Allowing a gradual return to room temperature preserves those advantages.
Preheat your oven to 400° F and place a rack in the middle position. Place a heavy, tall baking dish in the oven as it heats. These days, I prefer a souffle pan, but a cast iron dutch oven does nicely too; chose a size that will allow your batter to be roughly 1/2″ thick when poured in.
Beat the batter again after it’s back up to temperature; 2 or 3 minutes on a low setting is sufficient.
Once the oven is up to temp, remove the baking dish and Toss 2 ounces of fat into it. Unsalted butter, beef drippings, leaf lard, and even schmaltz will all work nicely and have their own charms. Return the dish to the oven until the fat is melted and sizzling.
Pour your batter into the hot pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F and bake for An additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the pudding has risen nicely and is golden brown. Do not open the oven door while the pudding is cooking; quiet, hot air and steam is critical to success.
Serve promptly.
Posted with Blogsy
UrbanMonique 
Hey, Eben, Merry Christmas (There’s still several days of Christmas for some of us). I have a question. For this recipe, what size pan are you using? I have a feeling the quantity in the basic one wouldn’t make a 1/2 inch in my 12 inch dutch oven and I don’t have a souffle pan or know for sure what size to buy. I don’t tell you often enough how much I enjoy these posts, but I do.
Why, thank you, Sir, much obliged!
The souffle pan shown is a 9″ and I know you’re right re the dutch oven, as that’s the size of ours as well – make a double batch and it’ll be perfect in that bigger oven. Besides, there really is something about stuff like this, biscuits, short cake, and the like, made in cast iron – that certain je nais cest quoi you get from nothing else. I guarantee you it’ll get et!
Oh now I am yearning for Yorkshire pud…might just have to make this tonight! Used to be a big family favorite, back in the day, right? I make it now with wholewheat pastry flour for fuller flavor, it’s so tasty!
Oh yeah. And I’ve never stopped! It’s fab with Bob’s Whole Wheat Pastry, but I actually really like their whole grain white too – still get great flavor, but a bit lighter crumb – either way’s gonna be delish!