Mom suggested we try one of these based on this WaPo article she read. Great idea, Mom! I also got some inspiration from this YouTube video.
These are like crêpes you can’t screw up.
I’ve converted the English volumes into metric and/or masses, since I like to weigh ingredients whenever possible to minimize my dish cleanup.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp or 45 g butter
- 3 large eggs at room temperature1
- 3/4 cup or 104 g flour
- 3/4 cup or 178 ml milk, at room temperature2
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat up a 12″ cast iron skillet to 425 °F / 220 °C in the oven.
- While that’s happening, make the batter.
- Beat the eggs in a blender a few seconds at a medium speed until frothy.
- Add all the rest of the stuff except the butter and zip it a few seconds at low speed to combine thoroughly.
- Zip it at high speed a few seconds to smooth everything out; you want homogeneity to the max.
- Take the pan out of the oven, melt the butter in it, and swirl it around, and don’t let it burn. Have the batter ready at this point; it needs to go into that pan while as hot as possible. Dump in the batter and bake it for 13 minutes or until it looks like this:
Topping Options
There is quite a lot you can do here. Lemon juice and powdered sugar, perhaps a rhubarb compote, any kind of jam you like, your favorite “hazelnut spread” or cookie butter… I opted for a cherry sauce with Schattenmorellen taken from Sarah’s American-style Cheesecake recipe. Bascially:
- Drain the juice from a jar of cherries into a saucepan and boil it.
- While that’s happening, scoop out 3 tbsp. of the juice and mix it in a small bowl with 2.5 tbsp. of corn starch to form a slurry.
- When the pan juice is boiling, stir in your slurry and reduce the heat down to a weak boil.
- It’s done when you’ve got the thickness you like. Add the cherries back in. Top your Dutch Baby. Enjoy.
Finished product:
Notes
- Convection baking makes it lighter, poofier and fluffier, but more likely to burn; conventional baking results are a little denser and spongier
- The batter scales easily down to a single (large!) serving
- Savory Variation: take out the sugar and vanilla and make savory babies. Consider as toppings:
- bacon3
- herby goat cheese
- minced shallots
- gruyere
- ham
- refried beans
- hot sauce
- cotija or feta
Crispy bacon crumbles, shredded gouda, and sauerkraut make a lovely combination.
Do you have an opinion on what type of pan to use? Going to try this tomorrow. Someone bought us a crepe pan but i think this needs
a larger surface area? (My comment got cut off!)
Hey Yellifers!
I think the surface area (large or small) is not the deciding factor. I’ve made these as a one-egg version in this 8-inch iron skillet.
However, I think if your crêpe pan does not have side walls, the rising action will be different. Will it bubble over and make a mess or cause a fire? I sure hope not. Let us know how it goes!