Anna Louise Yorkshire pudding is one of those recipes that inspires more anxiety than almost anything else in British cooking. The fear of flat, pale, dense puddings haunts home cooks every Sunday.
But Yorkshire puddings are not difficult — they follow rules, and when those rules are followed, they rise tall and golden and crisp every single time without fail.
Mary Berry’s Yorkshire pudding recipe is built on those rules. Equal volumes of eggs, milk, and flour — the classic ratio. Rested batter for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Smoking hot fat in a preheated tin. And the discipline to leave the oven door closed for the entire cooking time.
Follow these four things and you will never have a flat Yorkshire pudding again.
The Four Rules of Yorkshire Pudding
Equal volumes — not weights. The classic Yorkshire pudding ratio is equal volumes of eggs, milk, and flour. Not equal weights — equal volumes. Crack your eggs into a jug, note the volume, and measure the same volume of milk and flour. This ratio is reliable and produces consistently excellent results.
Rest the batter. A minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature, an hour is better, overnight in the fridge is best of all. Resting allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, producing a batter that rises more reliably and produces a more even, well-risen pudding.
The fat must be smoking hot. Not warm. Not hot. Smoking. The fat in the tin must reach the point where it is just beginning to smoke before the batter goes in. This creates an instant, dramatic blast of steam that forces the batter upwards in the first few minutes of baking — and that is what makes Yorkshire puddings tall.
Never open the oven door. Opening the oven while the puddings are cooking causes them to deflate immediately and permanently. Set a timer, trust the process, and do not open the door until the full cooking time has elapsed.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Yorkshire Puddings
- 3 large eggs
- 100ml whole milk
- 100ml cold water (using half milk and half water gives a lighter, crispier result than all milk)
- 100g plain flour, sifted
- ½ tsp fine salt
- Sunflower or vegetable oil for the tin (about 1 tsp per hole)
How to Make Mary Berry Yorkshire Puddings — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make and Rest the Batter
Crack the eggs into a large jug and beat lightly. Note the volume — you need the same volume of liquid (milk and water combined) and the same volume of flour.
Add the milk and water to the eggs. Whisk together until combined. Sift the flour and salt into the jug and whisk vigorously until completely smooth with no lumps. The batter should be the consistency of single cream.
Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature — or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerating overnight, take out 30 minutes before using and stir well.
Step 2 — Heat the Tin
Preheat your oven to 230°C / 210°C fan / Gas 8. This temperature is not optional — Yorkshire puddings need extreme heat.
Add approximately one teaspoon of sunflower oil to each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. Place the tin in the hot oven for at least 10 to 15 minutes until the oil is smoking. This is the most important step. The fat must be visibly smoking when the batter goes in.
Step 3 — Fill and Bake
Working very quickly — every second the tin is out of the oven the fat is cooling — pour the batter into each hole. Fill each one about halfway. Do not overfill — the batter needs room to rise dramatically upwards.
Return the tin to the oven immediately. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the puddings are well risen, deep golden brown, and crisp at the edges.
Do not open the oven door at any point during baking.
Step 4 — Serve Immediately
Yorkshire puddings are at their absolute best the moment they come out of the oven — tall, crisp, and hollow inside. Serve immediately alongside roast beef, good gravy, and all the trimmings.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Yorkshire Pudding
Use equal volumes, not weights. Crack eggs into a jug, measure the volume, use the same volume of combined milk and water, the same volume of flour. This is the ratio — memorise it.
Half milk, half water gives the best result. All milk produces a richer, softer pudding. Half milk, half water produces a lighter, crispier, taller pudding with a thinner, crunchier shell. The half-and-half version is the one I make every time.
Rest the batter. Thirty minutes minimum. Overnight in the fridge is genuinely better. Make the batter the night before and refrigerate — the puddings will be noticeably taller and more evenly risen.
The fat must be smoking. Not hot — smoking. If you cannot see faint wisps of smoke rising from the tin when you take it out of the oven, put it back. The smoking fat is what makes Yorkshire puddings rise.
Work fast when adding the batter. Every second the tin is outside the oven, the fat is cooling. Have the batter in a jug with a pouring spout ready, move the tin to a heatproof surface, and pour as quickly as you can. Return immediately to the oven.
Never open the oven door. Set a timer for 20 minutes and walk away. The oven door stays closed. If you open it before the puddings have set, they will collapse and will not recover.
Serving Suggestions
Alongside roast beef and proper gravy — the only truly correct serving. On their own as a starter, filled with onion gravy — a traditional Yorkshire way. As a vehicle for leftover roast dinner — fill with vegetables, meat, and gravy for toad-in-the-hole style leftovers.
How to Store Mary Berry Yorkshire Pudding
At room temperature: Best eaten immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days — reheat in a hot oven (220°C) for 5 minutes to crisp up.
In the freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 220°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and heated through.
Mary Berry Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Beat eggs in a jug. Add milk and water. Whisk to combine. Sift in flour and salt. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth. Rest at least 30 minutes — overnight in the fridge is better.
- Preheat oven to 230°C / 210°C fan / Gas 8. Add 1 tsp oil to each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. Heat in oven for 10–15 minutes until smoking.
- Working quickly, pour batter into each hole — about halfway full. Return to oven immediately.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until well risen, deep golden, and crisp. Do not open the oven door at any point.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Yorkshire puddings flat?
The most common causes: the fat was not hot enough; the oven door was opened during baking; too much batter was added to each hole; or the batter was not rested. Check all four.
Can I make the batter the night before?
Yes — and it produces better results. Make the batter, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Take out 30 minutes before using, stir well, and proceed as directed.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
No — butter has a lower smoke point than sunflower or vegetable oil and will burn rather than reach the right temperature. Use a neutral, high smoke point oil.
How do I make a large Yorkshire pudding for sharing?
Use a 20x30cm roasting tin instead of individual holes. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and heat in the oven until smoking. Pour in all the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The result is a large, sharing pudding that is cut into pieces at the table.
Can I use semi-skimmed milk?
Yes but whole milk gives a richer, more flavourful result. The half milk, half water combination using whole milk is the best option.
How many Yorkshire puddings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 puddings in a standard 12-hole muffin tin. For a 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tin, divide the batter between the four larger holes for oversized, dramatic puddings — bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
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