To us Brits, the classic Yorkshire Pudding is just a tasty British food staple that we have the chance to enjoy every Sunday with our roast dinner.
But we sometimes forget that the rest of the world might not be so familiar with the UK’s most popular food.
Among the most common questions about scrumptious British cuisine that we find ourselves answering, is this: “is Yorkshire Pudding bread?”
The answer is (of course) no, Yorkshire Pudding is not bread. There’s some key differences between Yorkshire Pudding and bread, including the fact that Yorkshire Pudding is cooked with oil or dripping (roasted), whereas bread is not, it’s baked. Not to mention, Yorkshire Pudding is made from flour, eggs and milk, whereas bread is made using flour, yeast and water.
There’s also several more differences, as we’ll come onto shortly. But first…
What Is Yorkshire Pudding?
Yorkshire Pudding is one of the most famous regional British delicacies, being from Yorkshire in England. The traditional Yorkshire Pudding is a savoury oven cooked item or delicacy made from flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt.
Despite the name, Yorkshire Pudding is not traditionally a dessert. We often find ourselves apologising for confusing and weird British food names and this is another one of those occasions.
Having said that, there are ways to make Yorkshire Pudding into a dessert, although this’d come under the category of modern British food as opposed to being traditional practice.
Yorkshire Pudding was originally served as a starter dish alongside gravy, but these days it’s most typically eaten as part of a roast dinner. The second most common way of eating Yorkshire pudding is with toad-in-the-hole, another one of Britain’s classic dishes.
Why is a Yorkshire Pudding called a Yorkshire Pudding?
Yorkshire Pudding was actually called ‘Dripping Pudding’ originally, but later renamed. They’re called Yorkshire Puddings because they originate from Yorkshire in Northern England.
The traditional dish made in the olden days was done using dripping (the fat coming from roasting meat), hence the previous name. This method of cooking them is still used today by Brits who like to cook them traditionally and want maximum flavour. Otherwise oil is used.
Nowadays we often refer to Yorkshire Puddings as ‘Yorkshires,’ ‘Yorkshire Puds,’ or sometimes ‘Yorkies.’
What Does Yorkshire Pudding Taste Like?
Funny you ask. We actually have a whole separate article on what Yorkshire Pudding tastes like, but for now, just know that it’s incredible!
Yorkshire Pudding vs Bread: What’s The Difference?
So bread is baked and Yorkshire Pudding is roasted. But that’s not where the differences end.
The other main difference between Yorkshire Pudding and bread is, naturally, in the ingredients used to actually make them.
While Yorkshire Pudding is made from flour, eggs and milk, bread typically consists of flour, yeast and water.
Flour is the main ingredient used to make both, but for bread you’d typically use a strong flour, while plain ‘all-purpose’ flour should be used for Yorkies.
Believe it or not, you don’t need self raising flour to make Yorkshire Pudding. In fact, it’s best not to, because the added salt and raising agents may affect the taste.
With bread, it’s the yeast that makes it rise, whereas it’s the eggs (as well as the cooking process) that facilitate the rise of Yorkshire Puddings.
As a result of the ingredients used, bread is made from a dough, whereas Yorkshire Puddings are made from a batter.
Another slight difference is that the dough used to make bread is typically left to ‘prove’ and rises before being cooked, whereas Yorkshire Pudding batter is simply left to rest and the rising happens in the oven.
Both bread and Yorkshire Puddings can be eaten hot or cold, but Yorkshires are most often considered best when eaten hot, either alongside a roast dinner or as part of toad-in-the-hole.
What Else is Like a Yorkshire Pudding?
It’s often said that Yorkshire Puddings are similar to some other delicacies from around the world, such as the American Popover, the Takoyaki from Japan and Dutch baby pancakes.
Do Brits Actually Eat Yorkshire Puddings?
It’s a fact: Brits actually eat Yorkshire Puddings, and loads of them! We mainly eat them alongside a roast dinner on a Sunday and at Christmas, or with toad-in-the-hole. We Brits actually love them so much that there’s even a National Yorkshire Pudding Day (on the first Sunday in February every year).
Yorkshire Pudding Recipes
It just wouldn’t be right if we explained all of that about the lovable Yorkie and didn’t give you some recipes to go away and try, now would it?
So, here’s a selection of Yorkshire Pudding recipes:
The ‘best’ Yorkshire Pud recipe
Vegan Yorkshire Pudding recipe
Yorkshire Pudding = Bread?
So now you know. Yorkshire Pudding is most definitely not bread, but what it absolutely is, is one of the ultimate traditional British delicacies you need in your life.
If you just so happen to be in Blighty, why not find the best places to eat yours…
British Grub Hub
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