Basic Yorkshire Pudding Batter Mix: The Pantry Flour, Aldi

A basic Yorkshire pudding batter mix is just three ingredients, but if you’ve never, or rarely, made a Yorkshire pudding yourself then you might become overwhelmed by the vast array of alternatives!  In short, most recipes work – it’s a combination of the recipe, the consistency of the batter, the size/shape dish you bake it in and your own oven/temperature.  If you put these 3 ingredients into a bowl and mix them into a batter then get it into the oven and wait … you will end up with something that is edible – and that’s the bottom line, so it won’t go in the bin.  Some recipes, if you get them wrong, you’ve wasted time and effort and still have no dinner.  With a Yorkshire pudding you’ve “wasted pennies”, using simple ingredients, but still have food that is edible 🙂

Never Be Scared – There is No Secret!

There is no real secret to making a Yorkshire pudding, just variations and tips/tricks that people have tried and they like the result they get.  Never think it’s something hard and unachievable, making a Yorkshire pudding is a straight forward process…

Just for the record, when I last bought a bag of plain flour, I noticed it had a basic Yorkshire pudding batter mix recipe on the side, so I thought I’d pop it on here for anybody who is looking for a simple recipe, written by “people who should know what they’re talking about”!  A flour manufacturer recipe will just work, it’s in their interests to give you a recipe that works!

This is the Yorkshire pudding recipe from the side of the Aldi The Pantry Plain Flour bag:

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 2 Free range eggs
• 175ml/6fl oz Milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
• 110ml/4oz Water
• 2 tablespoons Beef dripping or vegetable oil
• a pinch of Salt and freshly milled Black Pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
2. Begin by placing the flour into a large mixing bowl. With the back of a tablespoon, make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Add the salt and pepper.
3. Now measure the milk and water into a measuring jug. Whisk the eggs and as you bet them the flour around the edges will be slowly incorporated. When the mixture becomes stiff, simply add the milk and water mixture gradually, keeping the whisk going. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that any lumps can be pushed down into the batter, then whisk again until all is smooth.
4. Spoon two tablespoons of beef dripping or vegetable oil into the roasting tin and allow it to pre-heat in the oven. When the oven is up to temperature remove the tin, using an oven glove, and place it over direct heat (turned to medium). Then, when the fat begins to shimmer and smoke a little, pour in the batter. Tip it evenly all round and then place the tin on a high shelf in the oven and cook the Yorkshire pudding for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisps.
5. Serve it cut into squares.

I will declare, quite openly, that the above recipe is not how I make Yorkshire puddings, but if you’re seeking a basic, printed, recipe for Yorkshire puddings, then above is what you’re looking for.  I’ve been making Yorkshire pudding batter for over 40 years, so, of course, I’ve got my own way of doing it (which you can translate to “found the easiest way for me” and “I do it by eye”).  Once you’ve cooked 3-4 Yorkshire puddings you’ll have understood how yours turn out and made your own adjustments for preference and results!

I do have an obsession though of collecting little recipe cards and cutting out the recipes from packets…. a habit that started when I was about 12 and started a scrap book (unfortunately I did have to bin that about 10 years ago during a big clear out and house move).

There really is no “secret black art” – and there’s no need to be afraid of trying to cook a Yorkshire pudding… what’s the worst that can happen?  Well, the worst is it won’t rise, or that it rises too fast and burns the top edges, or takes longer to cook than you thought … but you still have a Yorkshire pudding don’t you!