Popovers

Why this recipe works The perfect popover soars to towering heights without the addition of whipped egg whites or leavener for lift—but only if you get the baking magic just right. Skip a step or alter the timing slightly and you’ll have squat, tough, or sunken popovers. Do they have to be this finicky? We aimed to develop a foolproof recipe that would produce tall popovers with a crisp exterior and an airy, custardy interior every time. Since many recipes turned out skimpy popovers, our first move was to double the ingredient amounts found in most recipes so we could fill the cups of the popover pan almost completely. We tested cake flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour; because bread flour has the highest protein content of the three, it gave the popovers the strongest structure, and thus the highest rise and crispest crust. The downside was that it sometimes caused the batter to set up too quickly, which impeded rise. Resting the batter for an hour before baking relaxed the proteins and prevented the popovers from setting up too quickly. Whole milk is traditional, but the fat weighed down our popovers; low-fat milk fixed the problem. Popovers can collapse as they cool, so we poked a hole in the top of each toward the end of baking and then again once they were out of the oven. The small holes enabled the popovers to release the steam slowly and maintain their crispness. Greasing the popover pan with shortening ensures the best release, but vegetable oil spray may be substituted; do not use butter. To monitor the popovers’ progress without opening the oven door, use the oven light. Popovers can be stored in a zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. To serve, heat the popovers on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

MAKES: 6 popovers

RESTING TIME: 1 hour

BAKING TIME: 65 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2½ hours, plus 2 minutes cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 6-cup popover pan

INGREDIENTS:

• shortening
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups (16 ounces) warm 1 or 2 percent low-fat milk (110 degrees)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups (11 ounces) bread flour, plus extra for pan
• 1 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Grease a 6-cup popover pan with shortening, then lightly flour the pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, melted butter, and sugar until incorporated.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Whisk three-quarters of the milk mixture into the flour mixture until no lumps remain, then whisk in the remaining milk mixture.
3. Transfer the batter to a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1 hour. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before portioning.)
4. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the batter to recombine, then pour it into the prepared pan (the batter will not reach the top of the cups). Bake until just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
5. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake until the popovers are golden brown, for 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Poke a small hole in the top of each popover with a skewer and continue to bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, poke the popovers again with the skewer, and let them cool for 2 minutes. Remove the popovers from the pan and serve them warm.