Dutch Baby

Dutch Baby

Sometimes called a German pancake, the Dutch baby falls somewhere between a soufflé, a popover and a crepe—the batter transforms dramatically in the oven, forming a tall, golden crown around the edges, while the center remains relatively flat and custard-like. This breakfast dish always earns great praise from visitors to our test kitchen, for both its taste and its swiftly changing form. We tend to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar, or topped with fresh fruit, but savory variations are also easy and delicious.

Ingredients

• 4 ea. eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 oz. clarified butter or olive oil or bacon grease
• Pinch of Salt
• Pinch of cornstarch
• Optional Toppings: Powdered Sugar, lemon juice, fresh berries, bacon, sausage, cheese, you-name-it

Preparation

1. Oven Temperature: 550 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, salt and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. The batter will be a bit lumpy – DO NOT MIX TO A SMOOTH BATTER.
3. Spoon a teaspoon of the oil into the wells of a large muffin tin. Place inside the oven doorway for a couple minutes to fully heat the pan – a hot pan is critical to the success of these babies.
4. Once the pan and oil are as hot as they are going to get (don’t burn the butter), pull the pan to the door of the oven and pour the batter into it (do not mix the fat and batter together; just allow the fat to flow over and around the batter). Use enough batter to fill the wells to about 1/3 of their capacity.
5. Bake the babies away from the flame for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the batter forms tall, golden brown crowns. Each well of the muffing tin should now contain a cup-shaped Dutch Baby
6. Remove from oven. If they “fall”, you can pop them back in the oven for a couple minutes until they can be removed without too much deflation.

Topping and Garnish Choices:

• Squeeze lemon over the top. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Garnish with fresh berries and powdered sugar or maple syrup
• Add sausage or bacon, herbs and cheese a couple minutes before removing from the oven for a heartier breakfast entrée.