Out for brunch a few weekends ago, I decided to steer away from my norm of basically anything topped with hollandaise sauce – hands down my favorite sauce ever – and order something different. 

Instead of different, I opted for something completely new to me, something I’d heard of but never tried. 

A Dutch baby. 

It’s also known as a German pancake, a Dutch puff or a Bismarck. And it’s like a giant popover. It’s light, tender and eggy, and almost too simple to make. 

Eggs, flour, milk and salt are whirled in a blender and poured into a hot skillet with melted butter. The skillet is placed back in the oven for about 20 minutes, and then this magical pancake begins to do its trick. It rises and puffs high above the pan and then, when removed from the oven, it collapses, creating the perfect basin for fillings. 

While traditionally served with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of powdered sugar, it can be made savory as well. 

Like this one. Baked with everything bagel seasoning, then dressed with bacon, green onions and a creamy cheese drizzle. 

It’s absolutely delicious. Topped with an over-easy egg for breakfast, or served alongside salad or soup, it’s a versatile dish perfect for any time of the day.

When baking your Dutch baby, use a 9- to 10-inch skillet. The smaller size ensures a good puff and condenses it for a thick, tender crust. And, while usually made in a cast iron skillet, any baking dish with do, including pie pans. 

To make its sweeter counterpart, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla into the mixture before blending. Serve hot with a dusting of powder sugar and lemon wedges. Or try it with fresh berries, jam or syrup.

EVERYTHING BAGEL DUTCH BABY

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons butter, unsalted

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole milk, heated 20 to 30 seconds in microwave 

4 eggs, room temperature 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons everything bagel spice mix (like McCormick or Trader Joe’s)

TOPPING:

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

5 slices bacon, cooked crisp, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or large, ovenproof, nonstick saute pan and place in the oven.

Combine flour, milk, eggs and salt in a blender and blend on low until combined. Scrape down any flour stuck to the side of the blender and blend on medium for 10 to 20 seconds, until batter is smooth and foamy. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and swirl the melted butter around the pan to coat completely, and pour in the batter. Sprinkle everything bagel spice mix on top and return the pan to the oven. Cook until the pancake is puffed in the center and golden brown along the edges, 20-25 minutes.

While pancake is baking, make the cream topping by beating together cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until combined. Chill until ready to use. 

Serve Dutch baby immediately from the skillet, topped with creamy topping, bacon and green onions. 

Note: To make your own everything bagel spice mix, combine equal parts sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes, poppy seeds and coarse salt.

Adapted from communitytable.parade.com