‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2024)

‘My Yellow Farmhouse Popovers’ – Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside

++ UPDATE – – It’s ironic, sometimes, how something small may turn into something rather special. I had a huge urge for popovers, so I started preparing some about 9:00 tonight. A really good neighbor/friend who NEVER comes over late showed up…. with some problems. Let me tell you – two of these popovers, smothered in butter, and a glass of red wine – plus a good chat – seemed to be exactly what was needed!!

This is the final recipe of ‘The Popover Experiment’. I hope my little experiment enticed you to not only make popovers, but also to try a bit of experimenting on your own.As it turns out, these particular popovers – which I’m calling ‘My Yellow Farmhouse Popovers’ – are my favorites. My neighbor Frank, who’s sometimes a bit hard to please, said these are his favorites too. And I quote…”.. best popover yet. Nice buttery flavor, crispy on the outside and smooth & chewy on the inside.” Thanks Frank !!

I adapted this popover recipe from one featured onFLEUR de SEL, one of my favorite blogs.(The original recipe comes from Neiman Marcus.) FLEUR de SEL‘spopovers look yummy, so check out her recipe as part of your own ‘Popover Experiment’. (Mine look a bit “weird” compared to hers!) http://fleurdeselsf.com/2013/10/08/popovers-with-strawberry-butter/

If you’ve been following ‘The Popover Experiment’, you know I sometimes mess up when it comes to lowering the oven temperature approximately half way through the baking time…. well…. I did it AGAIN. The original recipe calls for the temperature to be lowered to 375F, yet, once again, I set the temperature at 350F. No matter, the popovers turned out great. I also changed the cooking time at 350F down to 20 minutes. The popovers looked done after 20 minutes at 350F – a nice dark, golden brown – so I took them out!

Tip !!If using older popover pans without nonstick coating, butter each section.

Tip !!If using muffin tins or ramekins, butter each section. You’re going to have too much batter for a six-cup muffin pan, so use a 12-cup pan. Fill each section 1/3 full, and fill any empty sections with water. The popovers won’t be as big as those made in the new style popover pans but they’ll be wonderful.

Yield – 6 popovers, if using a popover tin. 8 to 10 popovers,if using ramekins/muffin tin.

Ingredients & Method

+ Grease pans – recipe contains NO BUTTER !!

+ Oven at 450F for…. 15 minutes Then lower heat to 350F…. for 20 – 25 minutes

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk (You can try 2% if you wish but I recommend whole milk.)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (1)Put some verywarm water in a small bowl and place in the 3 eggs. Allow the eggs to sit in the water while you organize your ingredients.

Warm up 1 3/4 cups milk a bit in the microwave and set aside. (You don’t want the milk HOT, you’re just trying to take the chill out.)

In another bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 3/4 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2)Remove the eggs from the warm water and break into a small bowl.(I suggest using a small bowl because the small size helps incorporateair into the eggs.) Beat eggs on HIGH speed for 3 minutes. The eggs will become foamy with a light lemon color.

Pour the well-beaten eggs into a large bowl. With the mixer now set on LOW, stir in the warmed milk. Mix the eggs and milk briefly. With the mixer again set on LOW, gradually combine the flour/salt/baking powder mixture.

Raise the mixer speed to MEDIUM and continue to beat for 2 minutes longer. By this time the batter will have become slightly thicker & nice and smooth.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (3)Fill the 6 GREASED sections of your popover pan equally – they’ll be about 3/4’s of the way full.

Now this is important – and I didn’t remember to do it!

++ Place a baking sheet on the lower shelf below the popovers. (To help with clean up, you might want to cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil.)

If you don’t place the pan on a baking sheet, you’ll end up will some lovely spills on the bottom of your oven – like I did !

Place your pan – set on a baking sheet – into the center of a 450F preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350F and bake for another 20 minutes. ++ Don’t be surprised if there’s a lot of steam coming out your oven vent when you bake these popovers. ++ If you popovers don’t look browned enough – bake for another 5 minutes. Ovens vary, so always be prepared to be flexible!

Pierce popovers with a sharp knife once you remove them from the oven so the steam can vent, then remove them from the pan. (I like to lay the popovers on their side to cool.) These are excellent at room temperature but, of course, they’re always best eaten right out of the oven.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (4)Here’s an idea for a lovely fruit butter you can spread on your nice, warm popovers. Believe me, I sure had a Happy Tummy when I was eating a few of these.

Beat 1 stick softened butter until light & fluffy. Add 1/4 cup preserves. I used cherry preserves but you could use strawberry or blueberry or even orange marmalade. Enjoy!!

+

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (5)

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 ….  Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind popovers? ›

The container forms the steam released in the oven heat into one giant bubble. This steam is contained with gluten from flour proteins, starch, and protein from eggs. So the popover literally 'pops' with steam, but the steam doesn't escape because the stretchy protein holds it inside the batter.

Why do popovers fail? ›

Preheating your oven to the correct temperature is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure popover success. The hotter your oven, the higher your popovers will rise. Which makes sense: the faster liquid in the batter turns into steam, the more chance your popover has to expand before its crust sets.

Why aren t my popovers airy? ›

Preheat the oven to 425 with the pan preheating in the oven. When baking don't open it again until they're done. If you open the oven door the temperature inside can drop too quickly and the popovers will not rise properly. Whip the batter up really airy right before you add it to the pan they'll rise extra high.

Why does popover batter need to rest? ›

The flour needs some time to absorb into the liquid, which not only thickens the batter a bit, it also allows the gluten molecules to relax which makes for a lighter, not chewy popover. The resting period also makes the batter more velvety and helps allow air bubbles to release.

What makes popovers rise? ›

The high proportion of liquid in the batter creates steam that causes the popovers to puff up like the popover pictured below. The conversion of the liquid in the batter to steam is dramatic. One part liquid converts to 1600 parts steam.

What is one of the biggest causes of popover failures? ›

Too cold and you won't get the popovers to steam internally quickly enough. But be aware that you shouldn't make it too hot. If your milk and/or butter is hot enough to cook the eggs while mixing, the batter won't rise. Best to use all warm ingredients in the 40-50 degrees celsius (100-120 fahrenheit) range.

What country invented popovers? ›

Popovers -- being traditionally an American invention in contrast to the French crepes and British Yorkshire pudding, which is again from essentially the same batter -- have traditionally been baked in heavy cast-iron pans.

Why is a popover called a popover? ›

The name "popover" comes from the fact that the batter swells or "pops" over the top of the tin while baking. Popovers are also known as Laplanders.

How do you stop popovers from burning? ›

Greasing them with shortening rather than butter prevented them from burning. And flouring them lightly kept the popovers from sticking.

What is the secret to good popovers? ›

My biggest tip for creating perfect popovers is to use warm milk and room-temperature eggs with absolutely no chill on them. Do not take the milk and eggs from the fridge and use them. Cold ingredients will give you dense popovers. Warm ingredients will give you light, airy, and perfect popovers.

Why did my popovers sink in the middle? ›

When these airy baked goods aren't cooked enough, too much steam stays trapped inside. That moisture condenses once they're removed from the oven, causing them to collapse. The perfect popover, however, is easy to master. First, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.

What causes dense popovers? ›

SF Gate claims that if your bakes are flat and dense, rather than tall and puffy, you must adjust your ingredient ratios. Usually, the batter consists of a simple egg, milk, and flour mix but if you add too much flour, the batter will be too dense and your popovers won't have the power to rise.

What type of flour is best for popovers? ›

using room temperature eggs (see recipe for how to quickly bring your eggs to room temperature) room temperature milk (see recipe for how to quickly bring your milk to room temperature) hot oven. bread or all-purpose flour: for especially loft popovers, bread flour is your gal!

What are two reasons for failure of popovers to pop? ›

Until last night…
  • Preheat your popover pan.
  • NEVER open the oven door while baking.
  • Use room temperature ingredients.
  • Use the freshest eggs possible.
Jun 22, 2016

Can you eat popovers the next day? ›

You do not need to put them back in a popover pan, just tossing them in on a cookie sheet will work fine! We like to make popovers in large batches and then reheat the leftovers the next day or two.

What is the origin of popovers? ›

History. The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, The oldest known reference to popovers dates to 1850. The first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was in 1876.

What ingredient in popovers is chiefly responsible for structure in the finished product? ›

Moisture-rich ingredients, such as eggs, heat during cooking and turn the water in the whites and yolks to steam. One part water transforms into 1,600 parts steam, a significant volume increase that helps raise the structure of baked goods, especially those that rely on steam like popovers and cream puffs.

What is special about a popover pan? ›

Popover pans are distinguished from regular muffin tins by their deep, steep-sided wells. This forces the batter upwards and results in a popover with a puffy dome and crispy sides. Many popover pans have the cups welded to a wire rack. While this looks odd, it promotes even circulation of air and heat around the tins.

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