There’s something oddly charming about a dish named Yorkshire pudding, especially when you realise it has nothing to do with dessert. At first sight, it’s a golden-tinted, puffed, hollow pastry with crisp edges and a slightly custardy middle. Bite into it, and you understand why the British guard this recipe with the same emotional investment Italians have for tiramisu or Indians have for chai.
The Surprising 18th-Century History Of Yorkshire Pudding
Yorkshire pudding began life humbly in 18th-century England. Back then, roasting meat wasn’t just cooking; it was almost cinematic. A joint of meat rotated slowly over the fire, and below it sat a pan waiting to catch every drop of fat from the meat. Someone eventually poured batter into that sizzling fat, and the result was what they called dripping pudding. It wasn’t fancy then, but it stretched a meal further when ingredients were scarce.
Things changed in 1747 when Hannah Glasse published The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple and formally christened it “Yorkshire pudding.” The name stuck with people, likely because Yorkshire kitchens, heated by coal, produced hotter ovens that gave the pudding its iconic dramatic rise.
Over the years, Yorkshire pudding became inseparable from the Sunday toasts. For many British families, it’s not just food but a ritual to have plates filled with potatoes, vegetables, meat, rivers of gravy and, always, those proud golden puddings. At some point, the pudding’s versatility took centre stage. Today it appears in many forms, like small ones drenched in gravy, large bowl-like versions filled with sausages in the dish poetically called Toad in the Hole, and occasionally even served sweet with jam or custard because food traditions, no matter how historic, aren’t immune to experimentation.
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Mastering The Rise: How To Make Yorkshire Pudding
If you want to make it at home, here’s what you need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- A pinch of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons oil or butter
Method:
- Whisk the batter: Combine the flour, eggs, milk and salt in a bowl and whisk until it gets a smooth texture. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes, as the batter improves as it sits.
- Heat the oven: Preheat to 220°C (425°F). While it heats, add a little fat (oil or dripping) to each cup of a muffin tin.
- Get the fat smoking hot: Place the tin in the oven until the fat is very hot, the batter should sizzle loudly when poured in.
- Pour and bake: Quickly fill each muffin cup halfway with the batter. Close the oven immediately and do not open it while baking, or you’ll watch them deflate out of spite.
- Bake until they turn tall and golden: Leave them for 20-25 minutes until puffed, crisp and beautifully bronzed.
Your Yorkshire puddings are ready to be served and savoured!
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