Sourdough Popovers

This deliciousness was dangerously easy to throw together.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I used a popover pan and modified the baking time for a convection oven. We ate them with rocket soup and green salad but they would also be incredible for breakfast- maybe even with jam.

Instructions for sweet and savory variations are below the recipe.

Yield: 6 popovers

• 1 cup (227g) milk (full-fat, reduced-fat, or skim), warmed
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (113g) sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (120g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1. In the microwave or in a small saucepan, warm the milk until it feels just slightly warm to the touch.
2. Combine the warm milk with the eggs, sourdough starter and salt, then mix in the flour. Don’t over-mix; a few small lumps are OK. The batter should be thinner than a pancake batter, about the consistency of heavy cream.
3. Heat a muffin or popover pan in the oven while it’s preheating to 450°F, preferably on convection.
4. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, and spray it thoroughly with non-stick pan spray, or brush it generously with oil or melted butter. (To use melted butter: Melt 2 T butter and then distribute 1/2 tsp to the base of each popover cup before adding batter.)
5. Quickly pour the batter into the cups, filling them almost to the top. If you’re using a muffin tin, fill cups all the way to the top. Space the popovers around so there are empty cups among the full ones; this leaves more room for expansion.
   
6. Bake the popovers for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 10 (in a convection oven) or up to 20 minutes in a standard oven, until popovers are golden brown.
7. Remove the popovers from the oven and serve immediately.

Variations:

• For sweet, cinnamon-sugar popovers: Prepare and bake the popovers as instructed. When the popovers come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter (about 1/4 cup per batch), and roll them in cinnamon-sugar (about 1/4 cup per batch).

• For savory, cheddar-herb popovers: Mix 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence and 1/4 cup shredded Vermont cheese or cheese powder to the flour before stirring it into the sourdough-egg mixture. Finish the popovers according to the recipe instructions.

Buckwheat Popovers

My family is happy to eat soup and salad for dinner with a bribe like a warm, eggy popover. This version was earthy and delicious. I had to make them a couple of times to get the baking temperature and cooking times just right. (No worries, we ate the less than perfect ones too. 😉 )

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. We enjoyed them with Spiced Red Lentil Soup, but they would also be wonderful for breakfast with butter and jam.

Yield: 6 Popovers

• 1 cup/236 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, plus more for pans (or use cooking spray)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Brush cups of a popover pan (or muffin tin) with butter or coat with cooking spray. (I have had more success with cooking spray.)
3. In a large measuring pitcher with a spout (this makes pouring easier later), or in a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until frothy.
4. Add flours and whisk until mostly smooth, though a few clumps may remain in batter, which is fine. (If you prefer you can mix everything together in a blender instead of a bowl.)
5. Pour batter into prepared cups. Bake 15 minutes.
6. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 10 minutes until popovers are golden brown and puffed. (Reduce baking time by 5 minutes if using a muffin tin.) Keep tabs on their progress by looking through the window in the oven door. Do not open the oven door until the last 5 minutes of baking or they won’t puff.
7. Serve warm.

One Year Ago:

• No-Knead Bread from Sullivan Street Bakery

Two Years Ago:

• Pullman Loaf

Three Years Ago:

• Bread Machine Brioche

Four Years Ago:

• Classic Sandwich Bread
• Classic Applesauce

Popovers

Popovers are a fabulous side when having soup and salad for dinner. We LOVE them- they make a meal special. This recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.  It makes 6 popovers.

• 2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.  Spray the cups of a 6-cup popover pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour 1/2 tsp of the melted butter into each cup.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then whisk in the remaining 2 tsp butter.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then whisk in the egg mixture.  Whisk vigorously until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Divide the batter among the prepared cups and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more.  Remove from the oven and invert the pan onto a wire rack.  Serve immediately.