Gluten Free Popovers (Sourdough Discard Recipe) (2024)

Gluten Free Popovers (also called Yorkshire Puddings outside the US) are a light and airy baked pastry with a crisp exterior and a tender, hollow interior. Made from a simple batter of flour, milk, eggs, and salt, the magic of popovers lies in their unique leavening process. As they bake, the high heat causes the liquid in the batter to turn into steam, creating a rapid rise and puff. These delightful treats are versatile and can be served sweet or savory, making them a popular choice for breakfast, brunch, or as a side dish.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard refers to a portion of the gluten freesourdough starterthat is removed and discarded during the feeding process. You can you unfed sourdough discard for this recipe, but it also works very well with active sourdough starter. This recipe calls for a 50:50 sourdough starter, equal parts gluten free super fine brown rice flour and water. Discard must be at room temperature.

Tapioca Starch: Tapioca Starch, also often called Tapioca Flour, is a starch extracted from the cassava root. In gluten-free baking, tapioca starch is a popular choice as it helps improve the texture and moisture content of baked goods. It also helps with browning of gluten free popovers.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to create extra-light and airy gluten-free popovers. Cornstarch is not the same as cornmeal or polenta. It's the white, powdery product often used to thicken sauces and gravy.

Low Fat Milk: I highly recommend using low fat milk for this recipe. The popovers shown in the photos are made with 1% milk. Using full-fat milk can cause the popovers to have a custard like texture. The extra fat in the milk weighs the batter down and keep the popovers to rise. I have not tested this recipe with dairy-free milk such as almond milk or soy milk.

Eggs: Just like all my other recipes, I use large eggs for this gluten-free Yorkshire pudding recipe. Largeeggsmust be a minimum of 680 grams per dozen or an average of 56.7 grams each. Eggs must be at room temperature for this recipe.

Seasonings: Popovers in general are very bland so I highly recommend adding some seasonings. I use a garlicy seasoning blend I found at Trader Joe's. Ground black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper or just garlic powder can add a subtle kick. Feel free to play with the seasonings. If you plan on serving your popovers with a sweet topping such as butter and jam, make sure to omit the savory spices.

Popover Pan: Using a popover pan is not strictly necessary, and you can make popovers in other baking dishes like muffin tins or custard cups. However, the popover pan's specific design helps achieve the best results in terms of texture and appearance. If you opt to use a muffin pan, make sure it is non stick (or otherwise the popovers may stick to the pan)

A Sheet Pan: I recommend placing the popover pan (or muffin pan) on a sheet tray. This way they are easier to get into and out of the oven. Use an older sheet tray since 450F can be hard on some pans.

You will also need a large bowl, whisk, a spatula, a 1 quart liquid measuring cup, wooden skewer (or even a long, thin, clean knitting needle) and of course a digital kitchen scale.

Popovers vs Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire puddings and popovers are both made from a similar batter of flour, eggs, milk, and sometimes fat, but they have subtle differences. Popovers are typically taller with a crisp exterior and a hollow, airy interior, often served as a standalone bread or filled with sweet or savory fillings. Yorkshire puddings, on the other hand, are usually smaller, flatter, and cooked in beef drippings, resulting in a savory, slightly chewy texture, commonly served as part of a traditional British Sunday roast dinner to soak up gravy. While they share a basic batter recipe, their cooking methods and serving traditions distinguish them.

Why should ingredients for popovers be at room temperature?

After testing this gluten free popovers several times, I can't stress it enough for all the ingredients to be at room temperature. Allowing ingredients for popovers to come to room temperature before preparing the batter can help achieve better results in terms of texture and rise. Here's why:

Better Incorporation of Ingredients: Ingredients like eggs and low-fat milk at room temperature are more easily incorporated into the batter. Room temperature eggs, for example, mix more evenly with the flour and other ingredients, creating a smoother batter without any lumps.

Enhanced Leavening: Popovers rely on steam for their rise and makes them pop. When the batter is at room temperature, it can create steam more efficiently during baking. Cold ingredients might inhibit the steam-forming process, potentially affecting the popovers' ability to puff up properly.

Quicker Mixing: Room temperature ingredients mix more quickly, allowing you to create a smooth batter without overmixing. Overmixing can lead to tougher popovers, so having ingredients at room temperature helps you achieve the right consistency without excessive mixing.

Consistent Results: Using ingredients at a consistent temperature, especially when it comes to eggs and milk, helps produce more consistent results from batch to batch. This can be particularly important for achieving the desired popover texture and rise.

How to make Gluten Free Popover Batter

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature including the gluten-free sourdough discard. To bring eggs quickly to room temperature, I like to place them in a bowl with warm water and allow them to sit for at least 10 minutes. As for the milk, I like to warm it in the microwave for just 30 seconds.

While many recipes call for a blender to make popover batter, I discovered during all my testing that a hand whisked popover batter will right taller and lighter.

Step 1: In a small bowl combine the tapioca starch, cornstarch, kosher salt and your seasoning of choice. Whisk together.

Step 2: To a large mixing bowl add the room temperature eggs and whisk until light and airy. Slowly add the warm milk to the eggs and mix until combined. The mixture should be frothy.

Step 3: Add your room temperature sourdough discard and whisk into the egg milk mixture.

Step 4: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and keep mixing until a smooth batter has formed. Avoid adding all the dry ingredients at once or the starches will start to clump together.

Step 5: Transfer the popover batter to a liquid measuring cup, large enough to hold one quart (950 milliliter). This will make pouring the batter into the popover pan a lot easier and safer.

Step 6: Allow the popover batter to rest at room temperature for at least 25-30 minutes while the oven preheats, and you prepare the popover pan.

Baking Gluten Free Popovers

Popovers are baked at a very high temperature. Please make sure to have oven mitten close by. Instructions how to bake gluten free yorkshire puddings in muffin tray can be found in the recipe card.

Step 1: While the popover batter is resting, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Make sure to arrange the oven racks in the lower third of the oven. Just in case the popovers rise very tall. You don't want them to touch the top of the oven.

Step 2: Arrange your popover pan or your muffin pan on a sheet tray. Add around 1.5 teaspoons of vegetable oil to each cavity. If you are using a muffin tin and it's well loved, make sure to give it a quick spray with non stick spray as well.

Step 3: Once the oven has reached 450F, place the sheet tray in the oven and allow the popover pan to heat up for 5-10 minutes. The fat needs to be hot.

Step 4: Carefully remove the sheet tray from the oven and divide the gluten free yorkshire pudding batter between the cavities. You can fill them ⅔rd to the top or even a little more. If the oil is really hot, the batter may sizzle a little bit.

Step 5: Return the popovers to the hot oven and bake at 450F for 15 minutes. After baking them for 15 minutes, WITHOUT opening the door, reduce the temperature to 400F and bake them for an additional 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the oven for the entire baking period.

Step 6: After 37 minutes of total baking time, open the oven door and carefully poke every popover with a wooden skewer to help release some of the build up steam. Close the oven door and bake the popovers for an additional 2-3 minutes. The popovers should be dark golden brown and tall at this point.

Step 7: Remove the popovers from the oven and allow them to sit in the pan for a minute or two. This will help them with their structure. Then remove them from the pan and serve.

How to keep popovers warm

Here is a little trick I learned during testing this gluten free popover recipe. Popovers are the best when served warm (even though they aren't bad once they are cold). To keep them nice and crispy, make sure to poke them with a skewer as mentioned in the baking instructions. Once fully baked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a sheet tray lined with a cooling rack. Return the popovers to the oven set at 300F and keep them warm this way for 10-15 minutes. This makes them perfect for dinner when you are waiting for everyone to join you for your meal.

Serving Ideas

While Popovers can be served sweet and savory, traditional Gluten Free Yorkshire puddings are served along savory dishes. The most popular dish is roast beef and the Yorkshire puddings are perfect side dish for dipping in the au jus or gravy. My favorite way to serve popovers is topping them with some freshly grated white cheddar while they are still hot and serve them with some European Style Butter.

Classic Butter and Jam: Serve gluten free popovers warm with a side of butter and your favorite jam or fruit preserves. The combination of the crispy exterior and soft interior with sweet jam is a classic choice.

Honey and Cinnamon Sugar: Drizzle warm popovers with honey and sprinkle them with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for a sweet and slightly spiced treat.

Whipped Cream and Berries: Fill the popovers with a generous dollop of whipped cream and top with fresh berries for a light and fruity dessert or breakfast option.

Savory Herb and Cheese: Add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or chives to the popover batter. Serve warm popovers with a side of cream cheese or herb-infused butter.

Storage & Freezing

Popovers are the best the day they have been baked. I don't recommend storing them for an extended period of time.

It's generally not recommended to freeze already baked gluten free popovers. You can freeze fully baked and cooled gluten free yorkshire puddings for up to one month. When ready to eat place them in the oven at 325F and bake until crispy.

📖 Recipe