.Popover Tips & Tricks
Source of Recipe
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List of Ingredients
Popover Tips & Tricks
Some of these tips are plain good cooking and baking techniques that the expert cooks will already know.
Tip #1:
Flour: use all-purpose flour, not bread or cake flour. Unbleached flour is better than bleached flour. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Do not shake the cup to settle the flour.
Tip #2:
Eggs: be sure that your eggs are the size called for in the recipe. Too much egg yolk can keep the popovers from rising. For best results, measure your eggs: one large egg is equal to 1/4 cup. If you use egg substitutes in popovers, they will lose their puff.
Tip #3:
Milk: when I've used skim or low-fat milk, the popovers tend to burn. So I turn down the oven 25 degrees and take at least a couple minutes off the time. We prefer the taste of popovers made with skim milk, but the bottoms of the popovers end up somewhat shrunken and funny-looking.
Tip #4:
The popovers rise better if the batter is at room temperature. I warm the milk and eggs in the microwave or on the stove for a few seconds before adding them to the dry ingredients.
Tip #5:
In general, mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. Gently whisk the eggs until they are thoroughly mixed and change color. Add the milk and other wet ingredients. Then gently whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Only mix the batter until small lumps are left in it, to reduce the risk of overmixing the batter.
Tip #6:
Move the oven rack to a lower (but not necessarily the lowest) slot to keep the tops from overbrowning.
Tip #7:
Preheat the oven until the oven thermometer says it is the right temperature. Preheat the popover pan on top of a baking sheet in the oven until hot. The baking sheet boosts the bottom heat, which helps the popovers rise. (If your recipe calls for a cold oven start, ignore this tip.)
Tip #8:
Brush the popover pan with melted butter or oil (preferably canola). I love those nonstick sprays, but I've noticed that the popovers are more likely to collapse if I use them. Either the sides don't get firm enough to hold the popover's shape or they stick to the pan.
Tip #9:
Pour the batter into the popover pan from a lipped pitcher or bowl. The pan is out of the oven only a short time, so it stays hot. Also, you avoid stirring the batter more. Fill the cups 1/2 full. Do not overfill the cups.
Tip #10:
If you leave one of the cups of the popover pan empty, fill it half full of water. This will help protect the pan from the high heat.
Tip #11:
DON'T PEEK! Remember, popovers are leavened by steam. Heat is required for the rising of the popovers. If you open the oven door, the heat escapes, the oven cools down, the steam inside the popovers condenses, and the popovers collapse. So, don't peek for at least the first half hour of baking.
Tip #12:
Leave the popovers in the oven until the sides are firm and crusty. If they are taken out of the oven too soon, the popovers collapse and lose their magnificent puffs.
Tip #13:
If you leave the popovers sitting in the pan after removing them from the oven, they tend to get soggy. One way to prevent sogginess is to slit the popovers with a knife five minutes before the end of baking to release the steam. Be careful! The popovers are extremely hot fresh out of the oven, due to the steam.
Tip #14:
To store leftovers, wait until they cool completely to put into a food storage bag. If you seal them into a bag while they are hot, the steam condenses inside the bag, turns to water, and makes the popovers mushy.
Tip #15:
Remember to top your popovers with all the goodies: jam, butter, maple syrup, peanut butter, or honey. Some people open the popover and put in fillings: fruit, vegetables, meat or cheese.
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