I used to make popovers all the time. They always turned out perfect! Lately, though, every time I make 'em they fail to pop. Here’s the recipe, straight from Cook’s Illustrated:
1 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T. butter
Mix. Pour into muffin tin that’s been sitting in a 450 degree oven. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350, bake until brown about 15-20 minutes.
I bake 'em on normal bake, not convection. They turn out like little bricks, not light, fluffy popovers.
About the only thing I can think of is the recipe calls for whole milk. I usually only buy 1% milk. Can it be that the extra fat content in whole milk does something to add puffiness?
It very well COULD be the lowfat milk. Fortunately, you can buy whole milk in 1 cup containers. Also, what size eggs are you using? Most recipes will assume that you are using large or extra large eggs. If you’re using medium eggs, they might not have enough puff power. Try using extra large eggs.
I’m by no means the world authority on baking, mainly because I hate it, but could it be the type of flour?
Does the recipe call for ANY kind of flour, or does it need to be self-rising? I know you said this was straight from the source, but I was wondering if that could be the trouble. I know that regular flour has to have baking powder put in or it won’t rise, or so I’ve been admonished many a time.
Also, what are popovers? Down here in Alabama, we don’t get that kind of fare. We eat biscuits, or corn muffins, but what you just described sounds just like plain old rolls. Are they? And were you serious when you said they’re supposed to pop? I’m really not being sarcastic! I’m just a basic dummy when it comes to non-Southern cooking…or actually MOST kinds of cooking!
Well, what changed, between the time you used to make them and they popped, and now, when they don’t? Different brand of eggs, for one thing, meaning “old”?
Different oven, maybe heating differently? Different muffin tin?
When you made them before, and they popped, did you use whole milk, or 1%?
Here’s a link to a web page about popovers. SilkyThreat, they do indeed pop. According to the above web page, it’s something about the steam in 'em.
I can’t remember what’s changed between when they worked and now. All I remember is that they used to always pop, now they don’t. I probably used to use 2% milk instead of 1%. But the page above says that the ones made with SKIM milk taste the best, so I’m guessing that the milk doesn’t matter.
I use large or extra large eggs. My eggs aren’t old.
As far as I can tell, I do it just like that web page says. I wonder if it’s just difficult here in Colorado because it’s so dry… seems that steam is the most important thing when it comes to getting them to puff up.
My Yorkshire pudding (think large popover) always used to rise in NZ and since moving to Australia I cannot get it to rise. I’ve tried everything - different milk, eggs, flour. Even added baking powder :(.
Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve made them successfully in Colorado before. This was one of those recipes that I used to make all the time, then put it away for several years. I just don’t remember all the details!
I think popovers are sensitive to oven temps. Are you using a new oven? Buy an oven thermometer and make sure the thermostat is functioning properly.
Can you watch the popovers while they bake (without opening the oven)? If so, do they never rise at all or crash and burn right at the very end? If they never rise, then perhaps your oven isn’t hot enough or the batter is too thick. If they crash and burn then perhaps the batter is too thin (or not enough egg) or maybe you need to prolong the low temp bake stage to firm the delicious little devils up.
I have a very high-end oven/range (Dacor dual fuel w/convection oven), I’m not at all worried about the oven temperature. I bake a lot, and if the temp was off, I’d notice it for other things, not just popovers.
I’m not using the convection bake, after learning that you don’t want convection for things that you want to raise. I notice an extreme difference in bread baked convection vs. non-convection (rises waaaay more in the oven with no convection), so I’d assume the same with popovers.
They never rise. It’s not that they rise and then collapse. They just never rise.
China Guy, any chance you can get the recipe from your brother?
I’m tempted to try lowering the temp in the oven and see what that does. I’ll report on the results.
It¡¯s all in the pan, a good cast iron popover pans are available at fancy cooking stores. The recipe is simple; a cup of milk, a cup of flour, two eggs and a bit of oil. This will make six good size ones. Blend the eggs in a blender, add the milk & oil, final shift in the flour. Whipped it up for a while and ta da.
As I said before, he lives in Boulder so altitude should not be the problem.
