The Perfect Yorkshire Pudding Recipe: Tall, Crisp and Foolproof

By Linda Garrould · Updated 14 June 2026

The perfect Yorkshire pudding comes down to one ratio and two non-negotiables. For every egg, use 35g plain flour and 50ml milk, rest the batter, and get the fat smoking hot before the batter goes anywhere near it. Do those three things and you get tall, crisp, hollow puddings every Sunday. The rest is detail, and it is all below.

Key takeaways

• The ratio: one egg to 35g plain flour and 50ml milk. So 4 large eggs : 140g plain flour : 200ml milk makes 12 good puddings.
• Plain flour, not self-raising. The lift comes from steam, not baking powder.
• Rest the batter — 30 minutes on the counter, or overnight in the fridge. It relaxes the gluten and the puddings rise taller.
• The fat must be smoking when the batter hits it. A cold or warm tin is the single most common reason puddings stay flat.
• Hot oven, closed door: 220°C (200°C fan), and do not open it for the first 20 minutes.
• Cooked puddings freeze well and reheat from frozen in 6 to 8 minutes — so you can make them ahead.

The foolproof Yorkshire pudding recipe

This is the house method: a reliable batter that climbs the tin and crisps at the edges. It makes about 12 puddings in a 12-hole bun tin. For taller, pub-style puddings, use a deep four- or six-hole tin and expect fewer, larger ones. Active prep is about 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting; cooking is around 22 minutes.

Ingredients (makes 12)

• 4 large eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 200ml whole milk
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• Sunflower oil, vegetable oil or beef dripping for the tin (about 1 tsp per hole)

Method

1. Make the batter. Whisk the eggs, flour and salt together until smooth, then whisk in the milk a little at a time. You want the consistency of single cream — pourable, with no lumps. A jug makes the pouring easier later.
2. Rest it. Cover and leave on the counter for at least 30 minutes, or in the fridge overnight. Resting relaxes the gluten and lets the flour hydrate, which is what gives you height.
3. Heat the tin. Put a teaspoon of oil or a small knob of dripping into each hole of the tin. Slide it into a 220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7) oven for 10–15 minutes, until the fat is shimmering and beginning to smoke. This step is not optional.
4. Add the batter. If the batter has been in the fridge, give it a quick whisk. Pull the hot tin out, and working quickly, pour batter into each hole until about two-thirds full. It should hiss and spit as it lands — that is the sound of a good rise starting.
5. Bake, door closed. Return the tin to the oven straight away and bake for 20–25 minutes, until tall, deeply golden and crisp. Do not open the door for the first 20 minutes, however tempting; the drop in temperature will sink them.
6. Serve at once. Yorkshire puddings wait for no one. Lift them out, and get them to the table while they are still proud and crisp.

Cook’s note: for the tallest puddings, use a metal bun tin or a proper four-hole Yorkshire tin rather than silicone — metal conducts the fierce heat the batter needs. There is no need to grease anything but the wells.

The ratio, and how to scale it

There is no single sacred ratio for Yorkshire puddings, but the one worth memorising is one egg to 35g plain flour and 50ml milk. It scales to any number of puddings — double it, treble it, and you never need to look it up again. Crack the eggs into a jug first if it helps you keep track.

The weights below are that ratio at the two batch sizes most families actually cook. Whole milk gives the richest result, but semi-skimmed works.

Makes	Eggs	Plain flour	Milk	Salt
6 puddings	2 large	70g	100ml	⅛ tsp
12 puddings	4 large	140g	200ml	¼ tsp

In imperial and cups: for the 12-pudding batch, 140g plain flour is about 5oz or a generous US cup, and 200ml milk is about 7fl oz or a scant cup. Four large eggs need no conversion.

A thicker batter (a little less milk) climbs higher and crisps harder; a thinner batter spreads and bakes more evenly but flatter. The quantities above sit at the reliable middle — tall and crisp without being temperamental. If you want to push for height, hold back a tablespoon of the milk.

Why Yorkshire puddings rise

It helps to know what you are actually doing, because every rule below follows from it. A Yorkshire pudding is not leavened by raising agents — it is leavened by steam. When the thin, eggy batter meets ferociously hot fat in a hot oven, the water in the batter flashes to steam and forces the soft batter up the sides of the tin. The egg and gluten set around that expanding pocket of steam, locking in the tall, hollow shape before it can collapse.

That single mechanism explains the whole recipe. Hot fat and a hot oven generate the steam. A rested, well-hydrated batter stretches without tearing. Plain flour keeps the structure light. And an open oven door, which drops the temperature, is the enemy of the whole performance.

Five rules for tall, crisp puddings

1. Smoking-hot fat, every time. The batter should sizzle on contact. If it sits quietly, your fat was not hot enough and the puddings will be pale and squat.
2. Rest the batter. Thirty minutes is the minimum; overnight is better. Cold-from-the-fridge batter is fine — the temperature contrast with the hot fat actually helps the rise.
3. Plain flour only. Self-raising flour gives a cakey, dense crumb and puddings that puff and then sink. You want steam, not chemistry.
4. Keep the door shut. No peeking for the first 20 minutes. Use the oven light if you must look.
5. Do not overfill. Two-thirds full per hole. Overfilled wells give heavy, doughy puddings that cannot climb.

Troubleshooting: why your Yorkshire puddings went wrong

Almost every Yorkshire pudding failure traces back to heat, batter consistency or the oven door. Find your symptom below.

What happened	The likely cause	The fix
Flat, no rise	Fat not hot enough, or oven too cool	Heat the fat until it smokes; check the oven is fully up to 220°C before the tin goes in
Rose, then sank	Oven door opened too early, or self-raising flour used	Keep the door shut for 20 minutes; use plain flour
Soggy, greasy bottoms	Too much fat, or fat not hot enough so it soaked in	Use about 1 tsp per hole and make sure it is smoking
Crisp outside, raw and doughy inside	Batter too thick, or wells overfilled	Loosen the batter with a splash of milk; fill only two-thirds
Stuck to the tin	Not enough fat, or a non-stick tin past its best	Make sure every well is filmed with hot fat; a metal tin works best
Pale and tough	Oven too low, or cooked too briefly	Raise the heat and give them the full 20–25 minutes to deep golden

Make ahead, fan ovens and freezing

Yorkshire puddings are the most make-ahead-friendly part of a roast, which is a relief when the oven is fighting over the beef and the potatoes.

Batter the night before. Make the batter, cover and refrigerate overnight. It will be better for the rest, not worse. Whisk briefly before using; there is no need to bring it back to room temperature.

Cook ahead and freeze. Bake the puddings as normal, cool completely, then freeze in a bag or box for up to three months. They reheat straight from frozen in a hot oven (220°C / 200°C fan) for 6 to 8 minutes, and crisp up almost as well as fresh. This is how to serve tall puddings on Christmas Day without losing oven space at the critical moment.

Fan ovens. Every temperature here is given for a conventional oven. If you have a fan oven, drop it by 20°C — so 220°C becomes 200°C fan. A fan oven circulates the heat, which actually suits Yorkshire puddings well, but the fierce initial blast is what matters either way.

Variations worth knowing

Milk or water? Traditional batters use milk, for richness and colour. A splash of water in place of some of the milk — say a quarter — gives a slightly crisper, lighter pudding. Both are correct; it is a matter of taste.

Beef dripping or oil? Beef dripping is the traditional fat and gives the best flavour, especially alongside roast beef. Sunflower or vegetable oil is easier and has a high enough smoke point to do the job perfectly. Avoid olive oil and butter, which burn before the fat is hot enough.

One giant pudding. Pour the full batch into a hot, well-oiled roasting tin or skillet for a single sharing pudding, and bake for 30–35 minutes. It is the natural cousin of toad in the hole.

A note on flavour. A little chopped thyme or a grind of black pepper in the batter is a pleasant change, but the plain version is the one that belongs under gravy.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my Yorkshire puddings flat?

The fat was almost certainly not hot enough when the batter went in, or the oven was below temperature. The batter should sizzle on contact. Heat the fat until it shimmers and smokes, make sure the oven is fully up to 220°C, and keep the door shut for the first 20 minutes.

Do you have to rest Yorkshire pudding batter?

You do not have to, but it makes a real difference. Resting for at least 30 minutes — or overnight — relaxes the gluten and hydrates the flour, so the batter stretches further up the tin and the puddings rise taller.

Can you make Yorkshire pudding batter the night before?

Yes, and it is one of the best things you can do. Make the batter, cover it and keep it in the fridge overnight. Whisk briefly before using. Cold batter hitting smoking-hot fat actually rises very well.

Plain or self-raising flour for Yorkshire puddings?

Plain flour. Yorkshire puddings rise on steam, not raising agents. Self-raising flour gives a dense, cakey result that puffs and then collapses.

What oven temperature is best for Yorkshire puddings?

220°C in a conventional oven, or 200°C in a fan oven (gas mark 7). The high heat creates the burst of steam that drives the rise. Anything lower and the puddings stay pale and squat.

Can you freeze Yorkshire puddings?

Cooked Yorkshire puddings freeze very well for up to three months. Reheat them straight from frozen in a hot oven (220°C) for 6 to 8 minutes, and they crisp up almost as well as fresh.

How many Yorkshire puddings does this recipe make?

The full quantity makes about 12 puddings in a 12-hole bun tin. For taller, pub-style puddings, use a deep four- or six-hole tin and you will get fewer, larger ones. Halve the recipe for 6.

More from the Sunday kitchen

If you are building a roast around these, the roast potatoes in Nigella’s Spanish chicken with chorizo rely on the same smoking-fat principle, and Jamie Oliver’s weekend shepherd’s pie is the answer to Monday’s leftovers. Midweek, our quick healthy lasagne keeps the oven busy, and for making baked goods ahead see can you freeze scones.

The same flour, eggs and milk make a quite different thing on the hob: see our easy pancake recipe for thin British pancakes, the one to have ready for Shrove Tuesday.

This is general cookery guidance for home cooks. Adjust timings to your own oven, which may run hotter or cooler than the dial suggests.

New: see our roast chicken timer and Sunday lunch timing plan for the reverse-timed countdown that gets every part of the roast to the table at once.