Puffed, crunchy, and coated in melted butter, a popover always hits the spot. Although the batter could not be simpler to make, getting the best results takes practice. After several years of “grueling” popover research, we’ve discovered a few helpful tips along the way.
1. Get the right tools
While you may be tempted to make this recipe in a muffin tin, you will get the best results with a popover pan. The pan allows more air circulation, and the tall, narrow cups yield sky-high popovers. If you like to make popovers with any regularity, then it’s worth investing in a proper pan (like this cherry red one from Neiman Marcus, whose lunchrooms just happen to be famous for their popovers, especially in Austin and Houston!).
2. Preheat your pan
Preheating your popover pan is an essential step. When the batter hits the hot pan, it creates steam, which is what gives popovers their dramatic towering shape. You want this process to start happening immediately.
3. Whisk, whisk, whisk
When mixing up your batter, whisk the milk and eggs well until you see small frothy bubbles. These bubbles help your popovers rise. Alternatively, you can make your batter in a blender like we do here. Once you blend up your batter, immediately pour it into your prepared pan and pop it in the oven.
4. Leave space in the cup
Do not overfill your popover cups—you want to leave space for them to rise. If you add too much batter, they will “pop” too soon and risk falling over and looking misshapen.
5. Be patient!
Try to restrain yourself from opening the oven while your popovers are baking. You want to trap all of that hot air and steam because that is what helps your popovers rise. They can also be rather delicate while baking—slamming the oven door too hard can cause them to deflate.
6. Let the steam out
Popovers lose their crunch if they linger in the pan, so turn them out onto a wire rack immediately after baking. Using a paring knife, poke a small opening in the side of each popover to let the steam escape. This will help them hold their shape and texture until they get to the table. No one wants a soggy popover!
Bous: Popovers make great leftovers!
Save any leftover popovers for breakfast the next morning. Halve them lengthwise and arrange in a baking dish. Crack an egg into each well and top with cheese, herbs, chopped ham, cooked vegetables—anything you want. Bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes, or until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny.
Now try making your own popovers! Check out our recipes for French Onion Popovers and Everything Popovers and even a gluten-free option now.
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