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 favorite dishes – and has now teamed up with MailOnline to share five easy steps to the beloved Yorkshire pudding.

In addition to making perfecting the art of the humble roast potato her life’s mission, she regularly shares her tips for a variety of ingredients with her millions of followers to help them spice up their weekend routines.

The chef has a whopping 3.5 million followers on her TikTok channel, where she shares her favorite food hacks – most recently with a “12 Days of Christmas Potatoes” series.

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

She may be the self-proclaimed queen of potatoes, but she knows that the other elements of a classic Sunday Roast are just as important – starting with one that Poppy says is essential for all roasts: the Yorkshire pudding.

The chef and influencer has 3.5 million followers on her TikTok channel, where she shares her favorite food hacks like how to up your Sunday Roast game

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

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

Poppy says it’s essential to wait until the oil is piping hot in the container you’re using for your Yorkshires before adding the batter.

The influencer started working in high-end restaurants at just 18 years old and apprenticed at Purnell’s in Birmingham.

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

It was then that she started making TikTok videos and giving time to her followers on Instagram, reaching 1.5 million 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 most important way to ensure Yorkshire puddings come out perfectly – and it all has to do with the oil or fat used.

Poppy says: ‘Yorkshire pudding belongs on every plate, not just beef’

The influencer started working in high-end restaurants at just 18 and apprenticed 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, “Yorkshire pudding belongs on every roast, not just beef.”

She added that 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 easy steps.

First, mix the egg with flour and gradually add milk, beating until smooth with a simple 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 into each slot before tipping the tray to make sure it covers the bottom.

The next step is heating it in the oven until the fat is piping hot: in her online TikTok videos, you can see how the oil boils when she takes it out of the oven.

She said, “You want the batter to almost foam when you pour it in so you get the desired height out of your puds.”

Here’s the make or break: if the oil isn’t hot enough, the puddings won’t rise and get wonderfully crispy like they should.

The fourth stage is the pouring of the batter into each of the slots of the shell, before finally cooking the pudding until risen and golden brown all over.

The perfect pudding should be crispy on the outside, fully cooked and still soft on the inside.

In 2021, Poppy released her own recipe book, Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need, in which she has an entire chapter on perfecting a Sunday Roast.