Classic Popovers

Instructions

1. 1

   Set up the oven

   Move one rack to the lowest third of the oven and shift every other rack well out of the way, since the popovers will climb several inches above the rim of the pan. Heat the oven to 450°F and give it a full 20 minutes past the beep to come fully up to temperature. An oven that is even 25 degrees short will give you squat, dense popovers.

2. 2

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the eggs in a large bowl for about 20 seconds, until the yolks and whites are completely blended with no streaks. Pour in the lukewarm milk and whisk again. Add the flour and salt all at once and whisk just until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds; stop as soon as the last dry streaks disappear. Whisk in the melted butter until the surface looks slightly foamy. The batter should be thin, roughly the consistency of heavy cream.

3. 3

   Rest the batter

   Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten you just worked up and lets the starch swell, which is the difference between a popover that stretches tall and one that fights the steam. Room-temperature batter is essential here, so don't chill it.

4. 4

   Grease and heat the pan

   In the last 10 minutes of resting, rub the softened butter generously over the inside of every cup of a 6-cup popover pan, right up over the rim and across the top surface of the pan. Slide the empty pan into the hot oven for 5 minutes so the butter is sizzling when the batter hits it.

5. 5

   Fill and bake

   Give the rested batter a quick stir and pour it into a measuring cup with a spout. Pull the hot pan out, set it on a trivet, and fill each cup about three-quarters full, working fast. Return it to the lower rack and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes without opening the door even once. Escaping heat is what collapses popovers.

6. 6

   Drop the heat and finish

   Without opening the door, reduce the oven to 350°F and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until the popovers are deep mahogany brown and feel light and firm when tapped. Pale popovers are underbaked and will sag, so push the color further than feels comfortable.

7. 7

   Vent and serve

   Take the pan out and immediately pierce the side of each popover with a paring knife or skewer to let the trapped steam escape, which keeps the interiors from going soggy. Turn them out of the pan and serve within a few minutes, while the shells are still crisp.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Cold eggs and milk slow the rise. If you forgot to set them out, warm whole eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes and heat the milk for 20 seconds in the microwave.

• 2.

  No popover pan? A standard 12-cup metal muffin tin works. Fill 9 cups two-thirds full, leave the rest empty, and cut 5 minutes off each baking stage.

• 3.

  Measure flour by weight if you can. An extra two tablespoons of packed flour thickens the batter enough to noticeably shorten the rise.

• 4.

  If the tops are browning fast at the 15-minute mark, slide a baking sheet onto a high rack to shield them rather than opening the door to rearrange things.

• 5.

  For a drier, sturdier shell that holds its shape longer, after the bake turn the oven off, prick the popovers, and leave them in the closed oven for 5 more minutes.

• 6.

  Resist the urge to open the oven. Steam is the only leavener in this batter, and losing it mid-bake is the single most common reason popovers deflate.

Equipment

• 6-cup metal popover pan (or 12-cup metal muffin tin)
• Large mixing bowl
• Wire whisk
• Liquid measuring cup with a spout
• Oven thermometer
• Paring knife or skewer
• Wire cooling rack

Storage