How to Make a Dutch Baby in Cast Iron

A Dutch baby sits somewhere between a pancake, a popover, and a crepe. The batter is simple—usually just eggs, flour, and milk—but once it hits a hot skillet, something dramatic happens. The edges climb high up the sides of the pan, the center stays custardy, and the whole thing comes out somewhere between breakfast and dessert. It feels impressive. It's also one of the easiest things you can make in cast iron.

What is a Dutch baby?

A Dutch baby is an oven-baked pancake that puffs dramatically as it cooks. Unlike traditional pancakes, there's no flipping or babysitting. The batter goes into a hot pan, then the oven does the rest. The rise comes almost entirely from steam and eggs, which is why the pan—and the heat it holds—matters so much.

Is it actually Dutch?

Despite the name, it isn't. The dish is believed to have originated in the early 1900s at Manca's Cafe in Seattle, where it was inspired by traditional German pancakes. The story goes that "Deutsch" (German) was mispronounced as "Dutch," and the name stuck.

Any skillet size works

Once you understand the ratio, you can scale a Dutch baby to almost any skillet size. As a general rule:

From there, match the eggs with roughly equal parts flour and milk by volume. The batter should feel thin and pourable—closer to heavy cream than pancake batter.

A few notes on sizing: the No.6 makes a great breakfast-for-two size, the No.8 is the most versatile for families, and the No.12 is ideal when feeding a crowd.