The Dutch Baby is rumoured to have become popular in the Pacific Northwestern part of America after being introduced and named in a Seattle Cafe, but it’s roots are European. It’s sometimes referred to as a “German Pancake” and it’s very similar to a large Yorkshire Pudding, something often enjoyed with roast dinners in the UK on holidays and Sundays. This version is slightly sweetened so it’s perfect for breakfast and a really fun alternative to traditional pancakes or crepes, but they don’t have to be sweet or for breakfast. A Dutch Baby can be enjoyed either sweet or savoury and at any time of day.
Unlike pancakes or crepes, a Dutch Baby is cooked in the oven, taking away the muss and fuss of frying on the stove top. Personally, this is one of my favourite breakfast options because it’s so easy to make when I’m sleepy in the morning. The ingredients can mostly be measured out the night before, so it’s just as simple as preheating the pan in the oven, adding some butter and pouring in the batter before letting the oven do all the work while enjoying a cup of coffee.
A Dutch Baby is so pretty to put on the breakfast table, especially if it’s sprinkled with powdered sugar and scattered berries. I’ve chosen strawberries here because they’re my favourite, but any berry will do or a mix of berries. I’ve also macerated my strawberries with a little sugar so they’re juicy and sweet. It’s not a requirement, but I highly recommend it. This breakfast or Pancake Day option is so enjoyable, offering a custardy pancake, sweet syrupy strawberries, a sprinkling of sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. What’s not to love?
I recommend taking the skillet straight to the table when you’re ready to eat. Eat it straight from the pan if you like or cut it with a knife into slices and serve on plates. This is the perfect sized breakfast dish for two hungry people in the morning, but if you want to feed 4 hungry people it can work. Simply add a few slices of crispy bacon per person and if you think you need it, double the amount of strawberries.
If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, don’t worry. Any oven-safe, round frying pan, cake tin, casserole or even a pie plate will work as long as it’s safe enough for the high heat. Let’s get started!
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 250g strawberries
- 1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 70g plain white flour (all purpose)
- 120ml full fat milk (whole milk)
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 40g unsalted butter, melted
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 25g unsalted butter
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
- Maple syrup for serving
Method
- Cut the strawberries, removing the green tops and discarding them and place them into a bowl or a plastic container with a lid. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of caster sugar and give them a stir to coat the strawberries in sugar, then cover either with the lid of your container or a piece of cling film and stick it in the fridge. Do this first so the strawberries have time to release their juices which creates a syrup with the sugar. You can also do this the day before.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 220° Fan / 425°F and stick your cast iron skillet into the oven as it preheats so it will get very hot while you make the batter. It needs to be in there for at least 10 minutes or so.
- Add the flour, milk, sugar, eggs, melted butter and salt to a blender or the bowl of a food processor and whiz it until the batter is well mixed and looks frothy. You can do this by hand if you need to with a wire whisk or use any electrical whisk option you might have including a hand mixer.
- Take the skillet out of the oven quickly and toss in the 25g of solid butter. Carefully swirl it around to coat the entire pan. If you don’t have enough, add more as not having enough butter will cause your Dutch Baby to be flat and not puff up.
- Once the butter is all melted, add the batter straight away – take care as it might sizzle up a bit. Immediately put it back in the oven and back for about 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden, with brown colouring on parts of it.
- Sprinkle the Dutch Baby with some icing sugar (powdered sugar) using a small sieve if you have one so it looks like it’s been lightly dusted with snow. Drizzle a little maple syrup across the top and tumble on a scattering of the syrupy strawberries. Serve warm with more maple syrup and the remaining strawberries on the side for adding to the Dutch Baby as you enjoy it.
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