Do you really need to... rest batter?

Many recipes for pancakes and Yorkshire puddings say you should let the batter rest before cooking. Chefs disagree not only on whether a batter needs to stand at all, but also on how long for (some say as little as half an hour, others suggest overnight), and on what resting does. Does it make the batter lighter? Thicker? Help it to rise? Anna Lawson, our editorial assistant, made two identical batters for pancakes and Yorkshire puddings by following highly rated recipes from bbcgoodfood.com. For both the pancakes and the Yorkies, Anna rested one batter overnight and made the other just before cooking to see if there was a di!erence. To ensure the test was fair, only the resting times were changed – the methods, temperatures and cooking times were kept the same. First up, pancakes Our testers were hard-pressed to "ind any di!erence between the rested and fresh batters, but agreed that the freshly made pancakes were slightly lighter and airier. Next, the Yorkies Again, the testers didn’t notice much di!erence, but those made with the rested batter were more uniform in size and shape, and tasted less eggy. Verdict If you want to get ahead and make the batter beforehand, "ine, but leaving it to the last minute won’t a!ect your recipe. Note: this only applies to crêpestyle pancakes. American pancake batter contains a raising agent and should be cooked as soon as it has been made. HOT HACK Leftover pancake batter makes good Yorkshire puddings and toad-in-the-hole, and vice versa!