11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (2024)

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Never make sunken Yorkshire puddings again

By

Elaine Lemm

11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (1)

Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 08/12/19

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11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (2)

It's important to use a foolproof recipe forYorkshire pudding.Fresh from the oven the puddings should be well risen, golden brown with a crisp exterior, and have a soft middle. But if it fails to rise, there may be several reasons why—from the oven temperature to the kind of fat used. Look at this cooking tutorial and follow these 10 tips, and you should have puffed-up Yorkshire puddings every time.

Even if you mess up and the puddings have not risen as high as they should, they will still taste pretty good.

  • 01 of 10

    Measure Your Ingredients

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (3)

    Always use equal volumes of egg, milk, and all-purpose flour. If you use too much flour, the resulting pudding will be heavy and dense. Without enough egg, there will be insufficient air beaten in for a successful rise. Too much milk will make the batter too loose.

  • 02 of 10

    Mix Thoroughly

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (4)

    Thoroughly beat the batter so it's totally free of lumps. If you're not sure the batter is smooth enough, strain it through a sieve before cooking.

  • 03 of 10

    Let the Batter Rest

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (5)

    To help puddings rise, let the batter sit for a minimum of 30 minutes—longer if possible (up to several hours is ideal). You can cook the puddings right away, but there is a chance they will not be as big as they should be.

  • 04 of 10

    Use the Right Fat

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (6)

    The fats need to reach a high temperature so only use lard, beef drippings, or vegetable oil in the tins and heat in the oven until the fat is smoking. Never useolive oilor butter—these two fats will not reach a high enough temperature without burning.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below.

  • 05 of 10

    Then Stir Again

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (7)

    After the batter has rested, give it another good whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water to help cool down the mixture before pouring it into the smoking hot fat.

  • 06 of 10

    Wipe Instead of Washing

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (8)

    If you plan to clean your pudding tins before using them, never wash themwith soap and water. This spoils the surface of the tins and can cause the batter to stick and thus prevent puddings from rising. Just wipe the tins clean with a paper towel before and after use.

  • 07 of 10

    Don't Fill to the Rim

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (9)

    Filling the tins with batter a third to half full is usually sufficient.If you use too much batter, the puddings will begin to rise but then soon collapse because of the weight.

  • 08 of 10

    Keep Batter Cool and Oven Hot

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (10)

    A successful rise will come from the combination of a cold batter going into a veryhot oven.The oven should be as hot as possible—the highest setting your oven can handle (450 F to 500 F) without burning everything to a crisp.

    Continue to 9 of 10 below.

  • 09 of 10

    Don't Use Convection

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (11)

    If possible, avoid using aconvection oven, as the forced air in a fan oven can sometimes be too strong and cause the puddings to collapse. If you have asettingthat allows you to switch from convection to a regular oven, be sure to make the switch.

  • 10 of 10

    Don't Open the Oven Door

    11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (12)

    Avoid opening the oven door during cooking because the cooler air will make the puddings collapse. Sometimes they make a recovery but will never rise quite as high as they should.

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11 Reasons Why Your Yorkshire Puddings Won't Rise (2024)

FAQs

Why is my Yorkshire pudding not rising enough? ›

The fat must be smoking hot in the pan before you cook the batter. If your Yorkshire pudding tin isn't hot enough before the batter is added, all attempts are destined to flop – so add fat or oil to the tin, and heat in the top of the oven at 230? C for 10 minutes first (and keep it at that temperature when cooking).

What is the secret to making Yorkshire puddings rise? ›

Resting the batter overnight is key for developing better flavor. Forget about cold batter: letting it rest at room temperature helps it rise taller as it bakes. A combination of milk and water gives the Yorkshire puddings extra rise and crispness.

Do more eggs make Yorkshire puddings rise? ›

Yorkshire puddings don't need baking powder or other raising agent, the secret to a good rise is plenty of eggs, hot fat and a hot oven.

Should Yorkshire pudding batter be thick or runny? ›

Yes, the batter should be runny, about the consistency of heavy cream. Here is my very quick, easy and amazing cheap recipe together with some important points which will make sure the puddings are a success.

Does baking powder help Yorkshire puddings rise? ›

No and here is the reason why! It must be plain flour (no baking powder). 1/ High temperature oven. Yorkshire puddings rise due to quick cooking of the flour and steam being formed in the batter mixture, hence the requirement of a very hot oven and hot oil as you pour the batter into the yorkshire pudding tin.

Should I let my yorkshire pudding batter rest? ›

How do you make Yorkshire puddings rise higher? Let the batter sit. Make sure you rest your batter rest for at least an hour before you cook to ensure a good rise and deliciously light puddings.

What happens if you use self raising flour in Yorkshire puddings? ›

It may seem logical that self-raising flour will give Yorkshire puddings more height, but those extra raising agents aren't required. In fact, they can have the opposite effect and result in a flat pudding. You should always use plain flour – except, perhaps, if you're making vegan Yorkies.

How long to heat oil for Yorkshire pudding? ›

Put 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil into each compartment of two 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins (see tip, below). If you only have one tin, you'll have to do this and cook the Yorkshires in two batches. Place the tin in the oven for 12-15 minutes to heat up the oil and tins until very hot (this is important for the rise).

Why do my Yorkshire puddings rise on one side? ›

Hello, I think everyone has or will make at least one flat Yorkshire pudding at some point. The most common reason is that it isn't hot enough.

How to stop yorkshire pudding from deflating? ›

To prevent your Yorkshire puddings from sinking, don't open the oven door before the end of cooking time. When you remove the tin from the oven, do not leave the puddings near any drafts. The most foolproof way to stop your puddings from sinking? Eat them straight away!

What happens if you put too much milk in Yorkshire puddings? ›

Always use equal volumes of egg, milk, and all-purpose flour. If you use too much flour, the resulting pudding will be heavy and dense. Without enough egg, there will be insufficient air beaten in for a successful rise. Too much milk will make the batter too loose.

Can you use butter instead of oil for Yorkshire puddings? ›

Bacon fat: Save some of the grease from your morning bacon for smoky, salty Yorkshire puddings. Butter: While butter undoubtedly makes scrumptious popovers, it also burns easily, so we recommend using a combination of melted unsalted butter and oil instead.

How do you make Yorkshire puddings rise bigger? ›

Use an egg white for extra height

Yorkshire puddings are made with a classic batter, but switching up your egg quantities can make a difference. Using one extra egg white could help make them extra tall.

Why did my batter not rise? ›

Make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature. If the ingredients are at different temperatures then they may not combine properly and the cake will be dense. If the eggs are stored in the fridge then remove them several hours before using, so they are properly at room temperature.

Is milk or water better for Yorkshire puddings? ›

Some argue that you should use milk when making Yorkshire puddings, some argue water, and others say to use a bit of both.

How do you thicken pudding that won't set? ›

Adding gelatin: Gelatin can be used to thicken pudding. You will need to whisk sugar, milk, and cream together and bring it to a simmer. Then, measure out the appropriate amount of gelatin powder and let it bloom in cold water. Melt the gelatin and slowly pour it into the pudding mix while stirring.

Why did my toad in the hole not rise? ›

Getting your Yorkshires to rise:

Toad in the Hole needs a hot dish with plenty of oil. Using a metal baking tin and adding the batter quickly is recommended. Also, the dish needs to be large enough so that the batter can creep around the edges (at least 30cm x 25cm ideally).

Does water help Yorkshire puddings rise? ›

Yorkshire pudding batter has just three ingredients – milk, eggs and flour – but the addition of water can make the finished result puffy and light.

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