Popover 😋

When I was growing up, pop-ups didn’t appear on my great-grandmother’s list of favorite foods. I always heard how difficult it was to make popover, but her recipe didn’t fit into that category. Sources: 10, 12

Throwing brownish butter over the popover and then rolling it in cinnamon and sugar just sounded way too good for my exhausted mind. I thought it might just be too complicated, but a year later, in college, I took matters into my own hands, bought a popover pan and started making it. The first pops I baked in the pan stuck to the heavy butter layer, so that after a few batches I built up a non-stick layer of fat and lifted it off slightly. Sources: 0, 2, 12

If you are making a popover for the first time and have not had success in the past, try half bread and half whole wheat flour. If you add more flour, the dough becomes heavier and the popups do not rise quite as high. When you rest the dough, you actually get a popup that is well-cracked, tougher than – as opposed to – chewing. Do not use cake flour or low protein flours for your pop-overs as they will not withstand large steam bubbles, so you will end up with heavy muffins. Sources: 1, 9, 12

If you make two batches in a pan in the oven, you can buy two popover pans at your local grocery store for about $20 apiece or buy them online. Sources: 13

The non-stick popover pan made of cast aluminum consists of six cups and a wide opening, but the same company also makes a pan with 12 smaller cups. You can make the pops in a normal muffin or cupcake pan (the same companies also make pans for 12 small cups, but they are more expensive). Note that you can use a “normal” muffin pan, but these special pans are slightly larger and can be heated more quickly and evenly. They have a deeper well and provide bigger and more dramatic pop-overs. Sources: 2, 3, 11

To confuse matters even further, these puffing beauties are called popovers, not Yorkshire puddings, because they were prepared and served by the Abbey’s cook, Mrs. Patmore, and are often the main ingredient of Yorkshire pudding, the most popular pudding in the United States. Popover is the pudding dough that has been made in England since the 17th century, so you will have the best popover of any Yorkshireman pudding. Sources: 3, 8, 11

The recipe ingredients are similar to the ingredients of the American popover, except for the pan crumbs and meat contained in this recipe. The only difference is that the popovers are baked in a butter-coated pan, while Yorkshire pudding is baked with dripping beef. Sources: 5, 12

Chefs may have different recipes for making popovers, but we all agree on one thing: the dough should be in the fridge for at least 24 hours before baking to relax the gluten and protein in the flour. The second is that it is less likely to stick (think of pouring scrambled eggs into a cold pan over a hot pan), which means less resistance to rising. If you are baking pudding in a heavy-based pan, it may be necessary to preheat it, as cold pans suck so much energy out of the oven before you can really bake your dough. Sources: 1, 6

Now add a dash of butter to each popover cup, place the pan in the oven for preheating and gently twirl the butter into the cups to grease the pans. Once the pops and muffin pans are heated, spray with non-stick spray and remove from the oven. Popover can be baked and served fresh from the oven, if possible, or as a side dish. Carefully remove the popover pans from the oven and stir in each cup of butter before greasing. Sources: 0, 5, 12

Bake the pops over high heat for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to the last bit of baking time and continue to bake until they are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. If they darken too quickly, place the baking sheet on one of the baking trays and slide it over the top to shield it from direct heating elements. Use the recommended pans or go with a muffin dish and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Sources: 4, 7

Before you start, heat a cold popover or muffin tin to 450 degrees Celsius and place it in the oven and heat it until it is thoroughly heated. While the mould or oven is heated, prepare the dough and spray the sides, top and edges of the cups with ladle spray. Bake in the oven for 2 – 3 minutes and then remove from the oven, spray with ladle spray from both sides (top and bottom of the cup) and bake until golden brown, about 10 – 15 minutes or until crispy and crisp from the outside. Place the baking tray, place in the oven (or in the oven), then remove from the oven or spray each side (plates, edges, cups, etc.) Spray with pan spray and bake for 3 – 4 minutes. Sources: 1, 5

Food: Popover