It may sound downright Swift-ian, but the Dutch Baby (and its variant, the Apple Baby) is a popular Seattle brunch item - and easy to make yourself!
The Dutch Baby is like a popover made from crepe batter. You pour some batter into a super-heated pan, and it puffs up while it cooks, making a sort of informal soufflé.
Dutch Babies are beloved among Seattle brunchers, but also a little bit dreaded. A Dutch Baby cannot be prepared ahead of time, and it takes at least 20 minutes to prepare. At a busy restaurant, ordering a Dutch Baby can delay brunch by 45 minutes or more. Nothing makes you feel like groaning in dismay like having someone in your party order a Dutch Baby when you are A) really hungry, and/or B) hoping to get out of that restaurant in a somewhat timely fashion.
If only for this reason - for the consideration of other diners - maybe it's best that you make your own Dutch Baby at home, instead. After combining a lot of recipes, practicing a lot, and taking some suggestions from more chef-like friends, I have concocted the foolproof Dutch Baby recipe.
The first thing you need is a large, smooth, somewhat deep pan. I use a 9" deep dish pie plate. In a pinch, I will use an 8x8 Pyrex brownie pan, or one of my white Corningware casserole dishes. A round pan is better, because it puffs up more nicely - the puffing doesn't get caught in the corners. And a smooth texture, like you get with a glass or glazed ceramic pan, lets the pastry puff without getting snagged.
(Many recipes specify a 9x13 pan. I don't know about you, but my 9x13 pans are anything but "smooth" at this point.)
Pre-heating the pan is critical. I'mma say that again: pre-heating the pan is critical. Stick the pan in your oven while you bring it up to 425 degrees.
While your pan is pre-heating, whisk together:
3 eggs
3/4 c flour
3/4 c milk
Pinch salt
Mix it together until the batter is smooth.
When your oven hits 425, pull out the pan and set it on the stove top. Drop in 2 T butter (or margarine, if you must). Push it around with a wooden spoon until it melts and skids and coats the entire pan with sizzling melted butter.
Now pour in your batter. Work quickly, to minimize the amount of time the pan spends out of the oven (and cooling).
Stick that pan back in the oven. Put it on the middle rack, and remove the upper rack if you have one. You want at least 6" of clearance over your oven rack, so that your baby doesn't stick to the roof of your oven. Bake it for a full 25 minutes. No peeking! If you open the oven door, your baby will collapse.
When the time is up, pull it out of the oven and dish it up quickly. It will begin to fall almost immediately, so have everything in place so that you can drop it on a plate and get it right to the table!
Traditionally the Dutch Baby is served with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. SO DELICIOUS!
The Dutch Baby is like a popover made from crepe batter. You pour some batter into a super-heated pan, and it puffs up while it cooks, making a sort of informal soufflé.
Dutch Babies are beloved among Seattle brunchers, but also a little bit dreaded. A Dutch Baby cannot be prepared ahead of time, and it takes at least 20 minutes to prepare. At a busy restaurant, ordering a Dutch Baby can delay brunch by 45 minutes or more. Nothing makes you feel like groaning in dismay like having someone in your party order a Dutch Baby when you are A) really hungry, and/or B) hoping to get out of that restaurant in a somewhat timely fashion.
If only for this reason - for the consideration of other diners - maybe it's best that you make your own Dutch Baby at home, instead. After combining a lot of recipes, practicing a lot, and taking some suggestions from more chef-like friends, I have concocted the foolproof Dutch Baby recipe.
The first thing you need is a large, smooth, somewhat deep pan. I use a 9" deep dish pie plate. In a pinch, I will use an 8x8 Pyrex brownie pan, or one of my white Corningware casserole dishes. A round pan is better, because it puffs up more nicely - the puffing doesn't get caught in the corners. And a smooth texture, like you get with a glass or glazed ceramic pan, lets the pastry puff without getting snagged.
(Many recipes specify a 9x13 pan. I don't know about you, but my 9x13 pans are anything but "smooth" at this point.)
Pre-heating the pan is critical. I'mma say that again: pre-heating the pan is critical. Stick the pan in your oven while you bring it up to 425 degrees.
While your pan is pre-heating, whisk together:
3 eggs
3/4 c flour
3/4 c milk
Pinch salt
Mix it together until the batter is smooth.
When your oven hits 425, pull out the pan and set it on the stove top. Drop in 2 T butter (or margarine, if you must). Push it around with a wooden spoon until it melts and skids and coats the entire pan with sizzling melted butter.
Now pour in your batter. Work quickly, to minimize the amount of time the pan spends out of the oven (and cooling).
Stick that pan back in the oven. Put it on the middle rack, and remove the upper rack if you have one. You want at least 6" of clearance over your oven rack, so that your baby doesn't stick to the roof of your oven. Bake it for a full 25 minutes. No peeking! If you open the oven door, your baby will collapse.
When the time is up, pull it out of the oven and dish it up quickly. It will begin to fall almost immediately, so have everything in place so that you can drop it on a plate and get it right to the table!
Traditionally the Dutch Baby is served with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. SO DELICIOUS!
Photo credit: Flickr/cinderellasg