No.85 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Dutch Baby (David Eyre's Pancake)

Made famous by David Eyre, via Craig Claiborne

Photo: Wheeler Cowperthwaite, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From The New York Times, 1966.

A puffed oven pancake the Times printed in 1966 and that became one of its most popular recipes ever. Still the easiest way to impress at breakfast.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in The Essential New York Times Cookbook.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 4 tbsp (55 g) butter
• 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C).
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, milk, eggs and nutmeg. Beat lightly; leave the batter a little lumpy.
3. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When it foams, pour in the batter.
4. Put the pan straight into the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown at the edges.
5. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and return to the oven briefly.
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve right away, before it falls. Add jam or fruit if you like.

Chef's tips

• Don't open the oven while it puffs.
• It always deflates. That's how it should be.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser: get the book, No. 29 on The 100 Greatest Cookbooks.

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