Adapted from a recipe in the Tassajara Bread Book
[This recipe replaces a more elaborate one I displayed for many years, the result of much trial, error, and refinement. When I saw the recipe in the Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown, I thought it way too simple to take seriously, but when I got around to trying it, I was astonished—the popovers came out perfect on the first try! Granted, I’ve had a fair bit of practice, but this recipe seems simple enough to be foolproof, except for some ambiguity about the size of the baking pans. When I first made it I got six regular-size popovers plus maybe 3 muffin-tin-size, so I’ve adjusted the amounts accordingly.]
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coconut oil
[Coconut oil: Turns out greasing the tins is a non-trivial problem! Sometimes the popovers stick, and removing them with a tool invariably tears them. Sometimes the bottom of the popover looks like a shrunken, fried stem. Coconut oil seems to work consistently for me. Remember to grease the rims of the cups as well as the insides.]
for greasing the tins -
1¾ cup flour
[Flour must have enough gluten (the protein that makes flour elastic) to do the job. If your popovers aren’t popping enough, use "bread" flour, marketed for bread machines and the home bread maker.]
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¾ tsp salt
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6 eggs, beaten
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1¾ cup milk
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3 Tbsp melted butter
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Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C (regular or convection).
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Mix ingredients thoroughly.
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Transfer the batter to a pitcher large enough (about a quart) to hold all of it
[Don’t let the heat out! It’s important to minimize the time the oven door is open so the temperature doesn’t drop too much, hence the pitcher and the quick filling.]
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Grease the popover pans and place them in the oven for a few minutes, long enough to get them up to oven temperature.
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Quickly fill
[ovendoor]
each cup one third full with popover batter. -
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F/177°C and bake another 10 to 20 minutes. Do not open until after 30 minutes of baking or the popovers may fall.
Makes 1 dozen popovers.
Popovers are best right from the oven.
Serve with jam or other sweet or savory spreads. We generally make a brunch of it, complete with sausages, cheeses and mimosas.