There is something impressive about a golden brown popover that has puffed spectacularly above the pan. These no fail popovers will let you be the undisputed popover master! Using the everyday ingredients of milk, eggs, flour, butter, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of salt; these rolls make any meal a special occasion.
Popovers are formed and pop when the heat from the oven forms a quick crust on the outside of the batter. The inside moisture is transformed into steam and expands. This provides internal combustion that forces the crust out and up. The outside turns a crisp golden brown and the inside hollows out and what is left becomes soft and custardy. Together each bite of a popover is wonderful.
Tips for No Fail Popovers
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Make sure the oven is hot. This step is vital as the burst of heat as soon as the batter enters the oven starts the lift.
- Use a heavy-duty pan. I really enjoy popovers so the investment in a popover pan makes sense. You can also make popovers in a muffin pan, but make sure to use a thick metal muffin pan.
- Splurge on bread flour. The extra gluten gives added structure to the popovers which in turn produces a turbo-charged puff.
- Warm the milk for 45 seconds in the microwave. This step will help with the “oven spring” for the popovers without the creation of a misshaped bottom. Do not use skim milk for this recipe. 2% milk is fine to use.
- Mix the dry ingredients together, add the beaten eggs and butter and stir to combine. Add in the heated milk and whisk together until the large lumps are incorporated.
- Fill the wells of the pan a generous 3/4 full. Depending on what pan you use, you may end up with extra batter.
- Don’t preheat the pan in the oven. Some recipes suggest this step (as well as adding butter to each well to heat up) to give the popovers a start, but if your oven heat isn’t spot on, a hot oven will cause the top to climb and pop while the bottom of each roll shrivels and folds in reaction to the heat.
- No peeking! Under no circumstances should you open the oven door, because the rush of cooler air will start to collapse the popovers.
- Turn down the oven temperature after 25 minutes. The two-stage cooking gives the popovers the high puff, but when you turn down the heat, the insides can fully cook without over-browning the top of the popovers.
- For the crispiest popovers, enjoy these rolls with butter while warm.
No Fail Popovers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: bread, quick bread
- Method: baked
Description
These no-fail popovers are Impressively puffed and crispy outside with a custard-like inside. The perfect bread for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1–1/4 cups bread flour
- 1–1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups milk, warmed in a microwave oven to 115°F (about 45 seconds on high)
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. (Start early so the oven is fully heated).
- Thoroughly grease (using an oil spray) each well of the metal pan, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, sugar, and salt and mix together.
- In a heatproof liquid measuring cup, warm the milk in the microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir in the melted butter and mix to combine.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- Combine the warm milk, melted butter, and beaten eggs into the bread flour mixture and stir for 2-3 minutes or just until the larger lumps are incorporated.
- Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan. Fill each well to over 3/4 full.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes. (You can monitor the lift of the popovers through the window in the oven door, but resist opening the oven door.)
- Reduce the oven heat to 350° F and continue baking for 15 minutes longer or until the popovers are golden brown and well puffed.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Take the popovers from the pan and serve warm with butter.
Followed recipe exactly …. the popovers did not puff up at all. There’s a reason why the other recipes say to preheat the popover pan … they do NOT puff up without this step.
So sorry your popovers didn’t pop. Preheating the pan is a great way to get a start on the popovers rising, but you need to take care when pouring the batter into a piping hot oven.
You do not need to preheat the pans….Never did that and my popovers are huge!
N
I made these with my four year old grandson —they were easy and sensational! Followed the recipe to the tee! Was so relieved not to have to work with a pre-heated tin when baking with my little guy. The results were exactly as promised: steamy and light hollow inside and chewy outside!