WP. Dutch babies are often "sweet", but this is a savory one. A "dutch baby" is basically a big yorkshire pudding. A yorkshire pudding is itself basically like a big pancake that puffs up and gets crispy around the edges. The batter is also about the same as popovers, which makes me wonder: My favorite recipe for popovers works best if the batter is made the night before and refrigerated overnight (they puff up much better). I wonder if the same would be true for dutch baby recipes.
Ingredients
For the Pancake
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup minced mixed herbs, such as chives, basil, thyme and/or oregano
4 to 6 scallions (trimmed), white part and 1 to 2 inches of green, halved lengthwise
For the Topping (Optional)
Plain yogurt
Ricotta cheese
Sour cream
Lightly dressed green salad
Tomato salsa
Hot sauce
Mixed fresh herbs
Sprinkling of grated cheese
Instructions
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet.
2. Transfer the skillet to the oven to melt the butter until it's bubbling. Keep an eye on it: You don’t want to brown the butter. Start the batter as soon as the pan goes into the oven.
3. In the pitcher of a blender, combine the milk, eggs, salt and pepper and process until well incorporated. Add the flour and mix, diligently scraping the sides and bottom of the container, until evenly incorporated. Add the herbs, and pulse only until incorporated.
4. Remove the skillet from the oven. Rap the blender jar or bowl against the counter to get rid of some of the batter bubbles, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. Scatter the halved scallions over the top, and quickly return the pan to the oven.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pancake is golden brown and puffed above the skillet rim. The middle of the pancake will be puffed, and a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a bit of custard clinging to it.
6. Cut and serve right away, either plain or with any of the optional toppings. The pancake collapses quickly, but even then, it’s beautiful.