Five steps to the perfect Yorkshire Pudding: Young Masterchef judge Poppy O’Toole

Michelin-trained chef, food influencer and Young Masterchef judge Poppy O’Toole has spent years honing her skills and perfecting some of the UK’s favourite foods –  and has now paired with MailOnline to share five simple steps to perfecting the beloved Yorkshire pudding.

Poppy O’Toole has 3.5million followers on Instagram and more than 420,000 on Instagram

As well as making it her life’s mission to perfect the art of the humble roast potato, she regularly shares her tips for all sorts of ingredients with her millions of followers to help them spice up their weekend routines.

The chef has an impressive 3.5million followers on her TikTok channel, where she shares her favourite food hacks – most recently running a ’12 days of Christmas potatoes’ series.

With an additional 427,000 followers on Instagram, the BBC judge is well known for her love of food porn and has also appeared on TV shows including the Weakest Link.

She may be the self-appointed Queen of potatoes, but she knows the other elements of a classic Sunday roast are just as important – starting with one element that Poppy believes is essential to all roast dinners: the Yorkshire pudding. 

The chef and influencer has 3.5million followers on her TikTok channel, where she shares her favourite food hacks such as how to up your Sunday roast game

Poppy has now paired with MailOnline to share the secrets behind the perfect Yorkshire pudding

Once mixed, it is best to pour the batter into something which is easy to pour from such as a jug

Poppy says it is essential to wait until the oil is piping hot in whatever tray you are using for your Yorkshires before adding the batter

The influencer began working in high-end restaurants aged just 18, landing an apprenticeship at Purnell’s in Birmingham.

She soon moved to London to pursue her career, but lost her job when the pandemic hit in March 2020.

It was then she began making TikTok videos and dedicating time to her Instagram following, reaching 1.5million TikTok followers within 12 months.

She first went viral with a video explaining how to make McDonald’s-style hash browns. 

Speaking to MailOnline, she shared the number one way to ensure Yorkshire puddings come out perfectly – and it’s all to do with the oil or fat used.

Poppy says: ‘A Yorkshire pudding belongs on every single roast dinner plate, not just beef’

The influencer began working in high-end restaurants aged just 18, landing an apprenticeship at Purnell’s in Birmingham

Made from eggs, flour and milk, Yorkshire puddings have long been paired with beef for a traditional Sunday roast.

But Poppy says: ‘A Yorkshire pudding belongs on every single roast dinner plate, not just beef.’

She added she serves them with almost any roast: from chicken to lamb.

‘It just wouldn’t be the same without a Yorkshire pudding.’

Poppy shows her followers how to make the popular dish in five simple stages.

First, mixing egg with flour and gradually adding milk, whisking until smooth with a simple hand whisk. 

Then comes her top tip for making ‘the perfect Yorkie’. She says to use a muffin tray for best results, then pour a little oil in each slot before tipping the tray to make sure it coats the bottom. 

The next step is to heat in the oven until the fat is piping hot: in her online TikTok videos, the oil can be seen boiling as she removes it from the oven.

She said: ‘You want that batter to almost start frothing when you pour it in, so you get the height you want from your puds.’ 

This is the make or break stage: if the oil isn’t hot enough, the puddings will not be risen and wonderfully crispy as they should be.

The fourth stage is pouring batter into each of the tray’s slots, before finally cooking the puddings until they have risen and are golden all over.

The perfect pudding should be crispy on the outside, cooked all the way through and still soft in the middle. 

In 2021, Poppy released her own recipe book, Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need, in which she has a whole chapter on how to perfect a Sunday roast.