England's great savoury batter pudding — a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk poured into extremely hot beef dripping in a tin; the violent steam creates a golden, hollow vessel that rises dramatically above its tin.
The 1737 recipe
The earliest published recipe for “a dripping pudding” appears in The Whole Duty of a Woman (1737): “Make a good batter as for pancakes… put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with butter, and make it a good colour…” The recipe was renamed “Yorkshire Pudding” in Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery (1747).
The hot fat rule
The single most critical factor: the fat in the tin must be smoking hot before the batter goes in. The violent steam created by cold, wet batter hitting extremely hot fat drives the rise. If the fat is merely warm, the pudding sits, absorbs fat, and never rises. Most failed Yorkshire puddings are caused by inadequate fat temperature.
Rest the batter
Contrary to the hot-fat rule (which concerns the fat), the batter benefits from resting at room temperature for 30–60 minutes after mixing. This allows the gluten to relax and the starch granules to hydrate fully, producing a more even, tender result.
The Sunday roast centrepiece
Yorkshire pudding is inseparable from the British Sunday roast — traditionally served alongside roast beef and gravy. Historically, a large single pudding was served as a starter with gravy before the beef, as the filling pudding reduced the amount of expensive meat needed. The individual pudding cups became standard later.
Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole uses the same batter poured over sausages in the tin — the sausages bake inside the pudding as it rises around them, a practical and beloved British weeknight dinner.
Find more foods by letter
Yorkshire Pudding starts with Y and ends with G. Browse other foods along the same letter.
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