Dish × condiment pairing
Best salt for Yorkshire puddings?
Season : all-year · Occasion : sunday roast, christmas, weekend
Cornish Sea Salt. Season the batter properly with fine salt so the pudding isn't bland, then crush a few crisp Atlantic flakes over the risen, golden tops the moment they leave the oven. The brisk brine snaps against the eggy crust. Don't over-salt the batter chasing flavour, or the rise suffers; finish on top instead.
In detail
The best salt for Yorkshire puddings is Cornish Sea Salt, used in two stages. A Yorkshire is mostly egg, flour and milk, so it needs fine salt in the batter or it tastes of nothing, roughly half a teaspoon per batch, which won't trouble the rise. Then crush a few of the crisp Atlantic flakes over the risen, golden tops the instant they leave the oven, while the crust is hot, so they grip and snap against the eggy surface. Salt them cold and the flakes slide off the set top. The brisk, bright Cornish brine cuts the richness cleanly without bitterness, giving flavour through the pudding plus a bright crunch on top. Don't chase seasoning by overloading the batter; season it sensibly and finish on top instead. A sound everyday flake at around £3 to £4 a tub for the Sunday table.
Our recommendation
Salt · Flaky sea salt
Cornish Sea Salt
Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, England
bright Atlantic brine · clean mineral · fresh sea note
A Yorkshire pudding is mostly egg, flour and milk, so it needs salt in the batter to taste of anything, then a flake finish for contrast. Cornish Sea Salt's fine, crisp Atlantic flake crushes cleanly into the batter and scatters snappily over the hot, risen tops, its brisk brine cutting the rich, eggy crust. Season the batter, finish on top, and you get flavour through plus a bright crunch. A sound everyday flake at around £3 to £4 a tub for the Sunday table.
Intensity 6/10
Where to buy it
Prices checked on
| Merchant | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Cornish Sea Salt | — | Cornish Sea Salt |
| Amazon US | — | Amazon US |
Prices may vary depending on current promotions on the merchant site.
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The catch
Don't leave the salt out of the batter thinking you'll fix it on top. A Yorkshire is egg, flour and milk and almost nothing else, so an unsalted batter bakes out bland to the core, and a flake finish only seasons the crust. Equally, don't dump salt in chasing flavour and risk the rise. Season the batter sensibly, half a teaspoon a batch, then finish the hot tops with flake.
Chef's note
Salt the batter when you make it, rest it cold for at least half an hour, and get the fat smoking-hot in the tin before it goes in, that's the rise. The moment the puddings come out tall and golden, crush a little Cornish flake over the crisp tops while they're hot enough to grip it. Serve straight away: a Yorkshire that sits goes soft, and the flake's snap goes with it.
Tasting note
brisk Atlantic brine · fresh sea note · snap on a crisp crust · around £3 to £4 a tub, cheap enough to keep by the roasting tin. Worth it.
These three sections appear on every one of our pairing pages — our methodology.
Alternatives to explore
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Salt · Flaky sea salt
Maldon Sea Salt
Maldon, Essex, Blackwater estuary, England
Intensity 7/10
Maldon's larger pyramids give a bolder crunch on the crisp top. The statement-flake pick, though Cornish crushes more evenly into a thin batter.
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Salt · Flaky sea salt
Halen Môn Sea Salt
Anglesey, Menai Strait, Wales (PDO)
Intensity 6/10
Halen Môn is softer, PDO-protected, with a rounder brine. The provenance pick for a Welsh roast, a touch gentler than Cornish on the eggy crust.
Complementary ingredients
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt — The fine salt for the batter itself, save the Cornish flake for the finish on top
Frequently asked questions
- Do you salt Yorkshire pudding batter?
- Yes. A Yorkshire pudding is mostly egg, flour and milk and tastes bland without salt in the batter. Add fine salt to the mix, then finish the risen tops with a flake for contrast and a bright crunch.
- Will too much salt stop Yorkshire puddings rising?
- Heavy over-salting can affect the structure, but normal seasoning, roughly half a teaspoon of fine salt per batch, won't hurt the rise. Don't chase flavour by overloading the batter; season it sensibly and finish on top.
- When do you add flaky salt to Yorkshire puddings?
- The instant they come out of the oven, while the tops are hot and crisp. The brisk Cornish flake snaps against the eggy crust and grips the hot surface. Salt them cold and the flakes won't stick to the set top.
This pairing was validated according to our methodology. Purchase links are marked sponsored and may earn a commission — details on our Affiliations page.