Equipment
Ingredients
Popover Batter
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml whole milk, warm to the touch
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g salt
- 28 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 169 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 248 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 107 mg
- Potassium
- 111 mg
- Calcium
- 64 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 107 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 90 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.19 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 58 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the popover pan inside the oven and preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F. Allowing the pan to heat up is crucial for maximizing the rise.
In a blender, combine the room-temperature eggs, warm whole milk, all-purpose flour, salt, and 14g of the melted butter. Blend on medium speed until completely smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds.
Let the blended batter rest in the blender jar at room temperature for 15 minutes. This hydrates the flour starches and allows the gluten to relax.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Using a pastry brush, quickly coat the insides of the cups with the remaining 14g of melted butter, then immediately divide the rested batter evenly among the hot cups, filling them halfway to two-thirds full.
Return the pan to the oven and bake at 230°C/450°F for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door under any circumstances, as the draft will collapse the popovers.
Without opening the door, reduce the oven temperature to 175°C/350°F and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Immediately pierce the side or top of each popover with a paring knife to allow the trapped steam to escape. Serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to spectacular popover height is a dramatic temperature differential. Room temperature batter hitting a screaming-hot, buttered pan creates instant steam that physically drives the batter upward.
- Warming your milk slightly before blending is a small but critical step; it ensures the melted butter doesn't seize into cold chunks when it hits the liquid.
- Resting the batter is often skipped in rush recipes, but a short 15-minute rest allows the liquid to fully hydrate the flour proteins, resulting in a significantly more elastic batter that can stretch further before setting.
- Piercing the popovers immediately upon removal from the oven is non-negotiable. Without an escape vent, the residual internal steam will turn the interior gummy and cause the crisp walls to collapse.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Will lose crispness in the refrigerator. Best eaten fresh.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in an airtight container or bag. Reheat directly from frozen.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C/350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the exterior becomes crisp again.
Troubleshooting
Popovers didn't rise and turned out dense and flat.
Cause: The pan or oven was not hot enough initially, or the oven door was opened during the crucial early baking phase.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the oven is fully preheated to 230°C/450°F before adding the batter, heat the pan in advance, and never open the door while baking.
Popovers collapsed immediately after coming out of the oven.
Cause: Moisture trapped inside the popover re-absorbed into the crust, softening the structure.
Fix: Return to a 175°C/350°F oven for 5 minutes to attempt re-crisping, but height cannot be restored.
Prevention: Bake until fully deeply browned and structurally set, then immediately pierce with a knife upon removal to vent steam.
Cultural Context
Popovers are the American cousin to the traditional British Yorkshire pudding. While Yorkshire puddings are historically cooked in beef drippings alongside a Sunday roast, popovers are baked in butter-greased tins, creating a highly versatile bread. Their hollow interiors and neutral, rich flavor profile make them the perfect vessel for everything from savory winter gravies to sweet fruit preserves.
