This Savory Dutch Baby Pancake has roasted tomatoes, pancetta and cheese. It's the perfect showstopping dish for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
Savory Dutch Baby is made in an iron skillet and ours has plenty of herbs, tasty cheese and roasted tomatoes to make it a favorite at brunch or for a light dinner. We've added browned pancetta, but, for a vegetarian version you can easily leave the pancetta off, and it's still hearty and beautiful.
If you love Southwestern flavors you'll want to check out our Tex-Mex Dutch Baby made with roasted poblano peppers and chorizo.
We've also used the same roasted tomatoes in adorable little Goat Cheese Appetizers. They're super easy, but impressive.
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What is a Dutch Baby?
It's a large, pancake-type pastry typically made in an iron skillet. The edges "puff" as it cooks making it an impressive dish to serve to friends and family. Interestingly, there is apparently nothing Dutch about it.
The story goes that it originated in a family-owned restaurant in Seattle in the early 1900's. Most often you find a Dutch Baby made with fruit, or even plain and we love them that way too. For this one we decided to go with a savory version making it appropriate to serve any time of day, for any meal.
Toppings for the Dutch Baby
After it comes out of the oven we like to toss on a little something extra. These baby arugula leaves gave it the perfect touch of color, plus a bit of extra nutrition.
A sprinkling of micro greens would be great too. Of course, we always like to encourage you to experiment, so feel free to leave the topping off, or add whatever suits your fancy.
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What makes the edges of the Dutch Baby puff?
The key to this important feature is melting butter in an iron skillet and making sure it gets hot before the batter gets poured in.
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Brown Butter makes this Savory Dutch Baby (and everything else) better. Yours will turn out fine if you let the butter melt and the skillet get hot before you pour in the batter.
But, if you can watch it really closely give it just a few more minutes and let the butter start to brown before you pull it out. A good "swirl" to get those browned bits distributed on the bottom of the skillet you've got the beginnings of a truly special dish.
We love brown butter so much we wrote an entire post on it. We've given you tips on how to make it perfectly, plus a whole slew of recipes that use it.
A few more tips for making your Savory Dutch Baby:
- Fontina cheese is soft and it grates more easily if you give it about 20 minutes in the freezer first. If you love fontina, you'll want to check out these simply elegant Cheese Tartlets too. They'd be fabulous on a brunch table with the Dutch Baby.
- When sprinkling the pancetta and cheese on the batter leave a border around the edge so you don't impede the "puff"
- Get creative! Use this recipe as a basis for whatever flavors you like. Mix up the herbs, try a different cheese, meat, or other toppings.
📖 Recipe
Savory Dutch Baby
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 cup Fontina cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2-3 ounces diced Pancetta
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or, to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or, to taste
Instructions
- Toss tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast (cut side up) in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Set aside.
- Brown pancetta in small skillet over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl and set aside.
- Whisk eggs, milk and thyme in separate bowl and then stir in dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Melt butter in iron skillet (9-11 inch size) in 425 degree oven until butter just starts to brown. Watch it carefully. About 6-7 minutes should be good.
- Remove skillet from oven, swirling to distribute brown butter on bottom of skillet, then pour in batter.
- Gently sprinkle on pancetta and grated cheese, leaving about 1 inch border around the edge.
- Baked about 10 minutes or until puffed and starting to brown. Reduce heat to 325 and bake until center is set - about another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle with roasted tomatoes and garnish with baby arugula or micro greens, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Be sure to let us know if you try this Savory Dutch Baby and don't forget to sign up here for weekly updates.
Pam Greer says
I can't believe I have never made a Dutch Baby! Yours sounds amazing, I love the savory spin on it!
Pam says
They're so easy. You'll love them, Pam.
Kelly Anthony says
I found this so interesting that it isn't Dutch. I've only ever had a sweet dutch baby but the savory one sounds so much better to me. Can't wait to give this a try.
Pam says
Hope you enjoy, Kelly.
Emily says
I love Dutch Babies, but I've never tried a savory one. What a good idea!
Pam says
We like them both ways.
Farwin says
I love how impressive they are and your savory spin to it !
Pam says
Agreed. Thank you, Farwin.
Stephanie says
I can't believe I've never had a dutch baby. Especially since I love cooking in a cast iron skillet. This would be so good for a special holiday brunch.
Pam says
Yes! We love our cast iron too.
Dave the Foodie. says
How many eggs?
Pam says
Gosh, Dave! I am so sorry the eggs were left out of the ingredient list! Thanks for bringing that to our attention. 4 eggs, and the recipe has now been amended.
Katie West says
OMG! Thanks a lot Pam for sharing such an informative page about Savory Dutch Baby is Perfect for Brunch or Dinner. I have read your valuable page and gotten much information. I have learned a lot from you that I did not know before. I confused for choosing the Baby Foods information what would be the best for everything but now my confusion has cleared by your review. I hope your all information will help me and my elder sister's daughter. Keep it up………..
Christina Clanton says
Nicely explained, today I actually made this brunch dinner for my baby, it tastes delicious. It is a guaranteed method of fast cooking and does retain the nutritive value of food. Thanks.
Pam says
Thanks so much, Christina. Glad y'all loved it.