The Hot Secret For The Crispiest Yorkshire Pudding

Like bread with butter, where would a traditional English roast be without Yorkshire pudding? Light, crispy, and slightly chewy, this savory pudding usually acts as an edible bowl for a wonderful meaty gravy. If you're ever across the pond, Yorkshire pudding is a must-try food found throughout England; they've even made their way onto the menu at the only Michelin-starred pub in London.

Originating from Yorkshire in the North of England, these little gems made their first appearance in Sir Alexander William George Cassey's book "The Whole Duty of a Woman" which was published in 1737. Since then, women's expected duties have changed a great deal (indeed!), and this recipe has also evolved. Instead of using butter to cook beneath these puddings, it's now recommended to use oil or fat. This, however, is only half of the secret to the crispiest Yorkshire pudding you can imagine. Here, we'll show you how hot oil in a hot pan can make all the difference.

Making crispy Yorkshire pudding can be a headache. They're infamous for refusing to rise or lacking that unbeatable crunch. So what's the secret? If you want those puddings to be crispy, you have to use very hot oil or animal fat. Fat can be bacon fat or the drippings collected from the pan of whatever meat you happen to be roasting: pork, beef, or duck. This will give your puddings more flavor. 

With your batter prepared, you can begin by pouring a small amount of fat/oil into each mold of your cupcake tray. If you decide to use oil, you want to use vegetable oil over olive oil, as this has a higher smoking point. Then preheat the oil for about 15 minutes in the oven — the tray will be extremely hot, so please be cautious when taking it out.

With the hot oil or fat remaining inside the tray, you then want to quickly but carefully pour your batter, from a jug, into each cup. Make sure no batter trickles from one cup into another, this will affect the rise of the puddings. So stop the splatter and keep the batter inside their designated holes! The oil will sizzle and start to cook the batter before you put it back in the oven, but this is actually what you want. It's the beginning of a wonderfully crispy exterior and will even make it easier to remove them from the tray once they've finished baking.

This hot secret will be of no use if your batter isn't in the best shape! Here are some tips to get your pudding mix up to scratch before pouring it into the molds. Make sure your batter has no lumps. Yep, Goldilocks was right, just like lumpy porridge, lumpy batter will never make a perfect pudding. Make sure you whisk the batter until you have a nice, smooth consistency.

It's also recommended to rest the batter once it's formed. Even if you're making Yorkshire pudding in an air fryer, for the puddings to have that guaranteed light and airy texture, you need to let the batter rest. During this time, the gluten molecules in the batter will develop and result in a taller rise once in the oven. You can rest the batter for a minimum of one hour, or overnight for even better results. 

Lastly, to make sure that the batter has the biggest opportunity to rise, do not open the oven door until the cooking time has ended. It will seriously sink those puddings. With all these tips and tricks, now you're equipped with the best way to bake Yorkshire pudding.