Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 5 minutes plus 15 minutes or overnight resting time
Cooking time: 22 minutes
Makes: 1 large Dutch baby pancake to serve 2 people
Ingredients Needed
- 185ml/6.5ozs milk
- 90g/3ozs plain all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 30g/1oz caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 30g/1oz butter
For topping
- 200g/7ozs fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup Nutella
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Place the milk, flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a blender or Thermomix and pulse to combine well (Thermomix directions: 10 seconds, speed #4). Allow to rest for 15 minutes in the fridge or overnight in the fridge.
Step 2 - Place the cast iron pan in the oven and allow to preheat to 220C/440F conventional or 200C/400F fan forced for at least 10 minutes. Open the oven door and add the butter and close the door for 30 seconds. Make sure that the butter is distributed over the base of the pan.
Step 3 - Then get the batter from the fridge and pour the batter into the pan and close the door straight away. Bake for 22 minutes (do not open door while it is baking).
Step 4 - Carefully take the pan out of the oven where the Dutch baby will deflate slightly in the centre but the ring on the outside will still sit firm. Scatter with strawberry slices and drizzle Nutella on top and serve.
Personal Note
I'll be making this Dutch baby for Mr NQN for Father's Day because he's an excellent father to Teddy and Milo and he deserves something delicious on the day. He doesn't make a big deal of Father's day or birthdays because they were never a big thing in his family. But long time readers will know that I've been determined to make birthdays a big thing at least. I think he has really gotten the hang of celebrating a birthday even asking if we can coordinate timings with holidays for his birthday. Seriously, these are big steps for him because he would have happily let the day go on by without any acknowledgement in the past.
This year we were in Saigon for his birthday. We had just disembarked a river cruise and we were at a gorgeous Vietnamese restaurant. I was very sick but didn't want to cancel his birthday dinner. Mr NQN had also been looking after me well being my voice when I lost it and having to communicate with everyone which is a task an introvert like him loathes.
We had ordered this crab dish and although the food was delicious, I couldn't eat much because I wasn't feeling well. "I'd like to go soon," I said to him. "Okay," he said picking up the crab and ate it bit by bit, slowly. It took him 37 minutes to eat the crab (I counted) and by then I had already told him twice that I wanted to go soon. I didn't want to get cranky about it because it was his birthday and he was clearly enjoying the crab but he finally got the message when I reached my hand across the tale and grabbed his arm. "I NEED TO GO. You have 10 minutes," I whispered looking him straight in the eye.
He finished up the crab but then I didn't realise that when I mentioned that it was his birthday when making the reservation, that the restaurant would also bring out a card and a cake for him! It was actually very sweet and he beamed with happiness. We were about to get up when they rushed over. "Do you mind filling in our comment form?" they said and of course we couldn't say no. Mr NQN tried to give it to me to fill in but I shook my head and pushed it back. He filled in the comment form and handed it back and we got up to leave.
As we were exiting to meet our driver our waitress came running out. "Sir sir!! Was everything ok?" they asked, worried. He had accidentally ticked all 1's instead of all 5's giving them the impression that we hated everything! He realised what he had done and explained that he meant to give them all 5's! I mean he was doing his best and all of this is new territory for him.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried a Dutch baby? Do you make a big thing of Father's Day or birthdays? And are you the person that fills in comment forms?