Name: Batter recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves: 4–6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100g plain flour; 1 large egg; 300ml milk

By Nichola Palmer

last updated 6 November 2023

in Recipes

This batter can be used for sweet or savoury recipes and takes only 20 minutes to make.

Once you see how cheap and easy it is to make the batter from scratch, you’ll never want to buy a packet mix again. With just three ingredients you can make enough batter for between four and six portions. This can be used to make pancakes, Yorkshire puddings, fritters and so much more.

Ingredients

100g plain flour
1 large egg
300ml milk

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Method

Sift the plain flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the egg into the well and beat with a balloon whisk, gradually drawing some of the flour into the mixture.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking all the time, and continuing to draw in the flour until you have a smooth batter. It should be the consistency of single cream.
Cover the bowl and leave the batter to stand in a cool place for about 30 minutes. If after standing, the batter has thickened too much add a splash of milk to thin it down.

Watch how to make batter

Top tips for making batter

To achieve a smooth, lump-free mixture, it’s essential to slowly draw the flour into the liquid – if you beat everything together in one go, some of the flour will remain in tiny lumps suspended in the mix.

Should you let the batter rest?

Yes, it is important you don’t skip the resting stage of the batter recipe. Resting the mixture allows the starch grains in the flour to soften and relax. This results in a much lighter finished batter when you come to cook it.

Can you make gluten free batter?

You can make the batter with corn flour which is gluten-free or use a gluten-free plain flour. The results will be marginally different in texture but you should still be able to achieve a good coating of crisp batter if using it to make tempura vegetables or coated fish.

How do you thicken frying batter?

The quantity of milk in this recipe makes a pourable batter, so to make it thicker, use less liquid, approximately 150ml of milk.

How to flavour batter?

You can flavour it with citrus zest, chopped herbs, or a little mustard for savoury dishes. When making it for Yorkshire puddings, add an extra egg yolk and replace half the milk with water. This will give you extra rich and crispy results every time.

Can you use self raising flour for batter?

If you only have self-raising flour, you can use it to make this batter recipe. Self-raising flour contains additional raising agents that can help to give cakes their signature rise and fluffy texture.

The raising agents are activated when they are combined with liquid and when exposed to heat. During the resting period, the first reaction with the liquid will have fizzled out but you should still get good results when you cook the batter.

For this recipe you need to combine the flour, egg and milk in a large mixing bowl to make the batter. It's important to use a bowl that is an appropriate size otherwise it will be hard to mix everything thoroughly and ingredients may spill over the edge. If you’d like to buy a new one, Food Editor Jessica Dady loves this old-school design from Mason Cash.