Cold Oven Popovers
Submitted by sandman
Cold-oven popovers from a five-ingredient batter, started in an unheated oven and baked into hollow, crispy-shelled rolls with steamy interiors. Marion Cunningham’s foolproof method.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThese popovers skip the preheated-oven dogma and start cold, a method championed by Marion Cunningham in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. The slow temperature rise lets the batter set gradually rather than blasting into instant steam, producing tall, hollow popovers with crisp golden shells. It also means you can mix and pour at your own pace without worrying about losing oven heat.
The batter is just five ingredients: eggs, salt, milk, melted butter, flour. Whisk gently and stop the moment everything is just blended. Overworking the batter develops gluten, which traps too much structure and gives you dense, low-rising popovers instead of tall airy ones.
Fill each muffin cup only half full. Popovers more than triple in size as they bake, and overfilled cups leave you with sticky muffin-shaped failures rather than soaring crowns.
The two-stage temperature is critical. The 425°F (220°C) blast forces the rise; dropping to 375°F (190°C) lets the structure firm up without scorching. The piercing step at the end is what keeps them from collapsing as they cool, releasing the trapped steam before condensation softens the shell.
Pro Tips
- Eggs and milk should be at room temperature. Cold dairy slows the rise.
- Don’t open the oven door during baking. The temperature drop will deflate the popovers instantly.
- A dedicated popover pan with deep narrow cups produces taller popovers, but standard muffin tins work fine.
- Serve immediately. Popovers go from spectacular to sad within 10 minutes of leaving the oven.
Variations
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme or rosemary for a savory popover to serve with roast beef.
- Add 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan to the batter for a cheesy version.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar fresh from the oven for a sweet brunch popover.
Ingredients
Directions
Butter 12 standard-size muffin-tin cups or a popover plan.
In a bowl combine the eggs and salt.
Using a whisk beat lightly.
Stir in the milk and butter and then beat in the flour just until blended.
Do not overbeat.
Fill each cup about half full and place in a cold oven.
Set the oven temperature to 425F and bake for 20 minutes.
Reduce the heat to375F and bake until the popovers are golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
They should be crisp on the outside.
Quickly pierce each popover with a thin metal skewer or the tip of a small knife to release the steam.
Leave in the oven a couple of minutes for further crisping, then remove and serve at once.
Makes 12 popovers.
NOTE: This cold-oven method was introduced by Marion Cunningham; according to the author this works beautifully.
If you don’t have a cold oven just prior to baking these, bake them after the beef is removed; increase the temperature to 425F and bake as directed below; they may not take as long.
Comments
Nope. Flat.