Perfect Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
Tall, crispy, golden Yorkshire puddings with a hollow centre — the classic British Sunday roast essential. This foolproof Yorkshire pudding recipe guarantees maximum rise every time with just three ingredients.
About This Recipe
Yorkshire pudding is one of Britain's most iconic dishes — a baked batter that puffs spectacularly in a hot oven, creating tall, crisp walls with a soft, eggy hollow centre. The batter is deceptively simple: equal volumes of flour, eggs and milk. The secrets are resting the batter, smoking-hot oil, and never opening the oven.
Ingredients
Serves 12
- 140 gplain flour
- 4large eggs
- 200 mlwhole milk
- 0.5 tspfine salt
- 4 tbspvegetable oil or beef dripping(for the tin)
Instructions
- 1
Make and rest the batter
Whisk flour and salt. Make a well, add eggs and whisk in. Gradually add milk, whisking to a smooth, lump-free batter. Rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes — or up to overnight in the fridge.
Resting allows the gluten to relax and the starch to hydrate, giving a better rise.
- 2
Heat oil until smoking
Add 1 tsp oil to each cup of a 12-hole muffin tin. Place in the oven at 230°C / 450°F for at least 15 minutes until the oil is smoking hot. This is the most critical step.
- 3
Fill and bake
Working quickly, remove the tin from the oven and pour batter into each hole — fill each cup about half full. Return immediately to the oven. Bake 20–25 minutes until tall, deep golden and crispy.
Never open the oven door during baking — the cold air collapses the puddings.
Pro Tips
- →
Smoking hot oil is the single most important factor — if it's not sizzling violently when you add batter, they won't rise.
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Use equal volumes of eggs and milk, and equal volumes of that total to flour.
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Work fast when pouring the batter — every second the tin is out of the oven matters.
Variations
- •
Toad in the hole: place cooked sausages in the tin before pouring over the batter.
- •
Giant Yorkshire pudding: use a large roasting tin for one big pudding filled with the roast dinner.
Storage
Best served immediately from the oven. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C) for 5 minutes to re-crisp. Freeze cooled puddings and reheat from frozen.
History & Origin
Yorkshire pudding originates from 18th-century northern England, where cooks placed a dripping pan under the roasting meat to catch the fat and drippings, then used them to make a batter pudding. Hannah Glasse's 1747 cookbook 'The Art of Cookery' contains one of the earliest recipes. It was originally served before the main course to fill guests up and reduce the amount of expensive meat consumed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my Yorkshire puddings not rise?
The three most common causes: oil not hot enough, batter too cold, or opening the oven door. Ensure oil is visibly smoking, batter is at room temperature, and never open the oven.
Can I make Yorkshire pudding batter the night before?
Yes — resting overnight in the fridge actually improves the puddings. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
What fat is best for Yorkshire pudding?
Beef dripping gives the most flavour but vegetable oil works perfectly. Avoid butter — its water content creates steam that can affect the rise.
Can Yorkshire puddings be made ahead?
Yes — bake, cool and freeze. Reheat from frozen at 200°C for 8 minutes until piping hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (150g) · 12 servings total
Time Summary
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