Make Perfect Fluffy Yorkshire Puddings With A Fray Bentos Pie Tin

The Sunday roast is a beloved British tradition, especially as Christmas approaches. And for almost half the country, the star of the plate is the Yorkshire pudding. Getting that ideal rise, the crisp top, and the soft centre is something cooks have chased for generations. Sure, frozen ones are convenient, but nothing beats pulling a tray of homemade, perfectly risen, golden brown Yorkshires out of the oven.

The trouble is, they can be temperamental. Too flat, too dense, too heavy. But there is one surprising trick that has been passed down through the generations. And it involves the empty tin from a classic Fray Bentos pie.

The unexpected secret from generations past

According to the food experts at BritSuperstore, one of the best kept Yorkshire pudding hacks is to use the empty tin from a Fray Bentos pie. It sounds unusual, but it works for a very good reason. The tins are made from metal that heats up extremely quickly and holds that heat, which is exactly what you need for a spectacular rise.

These tins cost around £2 and have become a trusted kitchen hack for some families. Richard Price from BritSuperstore explains it simply: “It is a metal dish that can hold and distribute heat perfectly. What started as a way to make use of everything in generations gone by is now actually your secret hack. Plus, it works in an air fryer if you are short on oven space.”

It is thrifty, clever and surprisingly effective.

The steps to fluffy, golden brown perfection

Here is how to use a Fray Bentos pie tin to create tall, fluffy Yorkshire puddings every single time.

Prepare the tin
Enjoy the pie first. When the tin is empty, wash it thoroughly and dry it completely.

Mix the batter
Use equal parts of plain flour, eggs, and milk. Around 200ml of each is a common amount. Whisk until smooth, aiming for a consistency similar to single cream.

Let it rest
Let the batter sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. At the same time, preheat the oven to 220°C. Add a splash of oil to the pie tin and place it into the hot oven so it becomes smoking hot.

Pour and bake
Once the oil is sizzling, carefully remove the tin from the oven. Pour in the batter quickly but confidently. Return it to the oven immediately and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the puddings are huge, puffed up and deep golden brown.

Serve immediately
Yorkshire puddings wait for no one. Eat them while they are crisp, hot and ready for plenty of gravy.

Common mistakes that lead to flat puddings

Even with the perfect tin, Yorkshire puddings can flop if a few key things go wrong.

Cold batter
The batter must be at room temperature. Cold batter will not heat quickly enough to create the steam needed for a big rise.

Oil not hot enough
The oil needs to be properly smoking hot. Lukewarm oil will cause the batter to boil rather than rise, leaving heavy, greasy results.

Opening the oven door
This is the classic mistake. Any sudden drop in heat will cause the puddings to collapse instantly.

Overfilling the tin
Filling more than one third of the tin limits how much the batter can rise. Less is more.

Using the wrong flour
You must use plain flour. Yorkshire puddings rise from steam, not baking powder. Self raising flour will ruin the texture and make them dense instead of light and airy.