How To Make a Classic Dutch Baby Pancake

A Dutch baby pancake has the soft, tender texture of a delicate crêpe and the eggy flavor of a sweet popover. It’s created by pouring a thin batter into a preheated skillet and baking it in a hot oven, where the batter will immediately start to puff around the edges. As it bakes, the batter rises higher and higher until it looks more like a poofy pillow than a pancake. Once the edges turn golden and you can’t resist the sweet aroma of baked goods any longer, it’s ready.

It feels like a party trick, but for the breakfast crowd. I break them out whenever anyone in my house needs a little extra delight in their day. Out of the oven, the Dutch baby will quickly collapse back into the pan — the steam holding it up quickly evaporates in the cooler air of your kitchen. But this is all part of the fun. Slice it into wedges and smear with jam and maple syrup as you serve it up.

• Flour: Nothing fancy here, all-purpose does the job just fine.
• Eggs: If you can remember to, let the eggs come to room temperature while you’re heating the oven.
• Milk: Skip the skim milk — 2% or whole work best.
• Sugar: You’ll need two tablespoons of granulated sugar.
• Vanilla: Just a splash of pure vanilla extract makes all the difference.
• Butter: Swirl around the hot skillet as need to make sure it’s entirely coated.

I’ve picked up a few Dutch baby tricks over the years and have gradually brought them together into a single recipe:

1. Use a blender or food processor to make a very smooth batter with no lumps.
2. Rest the batter to give the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, which gives the pancake a better texture and less flour-y flavor.
3. Use a hot skillet to help the pancake puff. You’ll get some crunchy, caramelized edges this way.

Be sure to use a 9- or 10-inch skillet for making this pancake. The smaller size increases the puff while helping the pancake keep its shape. The pan doesn’t have to be cast iron; you can use any oven-safe pan or baking dish of a similar size. I’ve even done them in a pie dish!

I usually carry the pan to the table, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it right there. Put a bunch of different toppings on the table and let everyone choose for themselves: Nutella, jams and preserves, lemon curd, peanut butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit, and any other little jars you’d like to use up from the fridge.

Served on its own, this Dutch baby makes a good size for two adults to split. If you’re serving it alongside a full breakfast spread of eggs, toast, and potatoes, slice it into more wedges. You can also double or triple the amount of batter and make a few Dutch babies in the oven at once. Any leftovers make a fantastic snack later in the day.