Blistered Asparagus & Fontina Slab Dutch Baby
I love a quiet Sunday, but I refuse to spend it flipping individual pancakes. We are not suffering for brunch. The inspiration for this Blistered Asparagus & Fontina Slab Dutch Baby came during a hectic weekend in my Bay Area kitchen. I had a bunch of local asparagus, a wedge of funky Fontina, and exactly zero desire to stand over a hot skillet. So, I went with a slab format. Maximum crust-to-crumb ratio, zero fuss. The secret is the choc thermique, or thermal shock. Pouring a cold, high-hydration batter into a screaming hot, butter-slicked sheet pan creates violent steam. That steam pushes the edges into golden, craggy peaks while the center stays lacy and custardy, never tight like a bad alibi. Butter is not a garnish here; it is the frying medium that blisters the asparagus right in the pan. What makes this special is the sheer ease. You get the drama of a puffed pastry without lamination. Cami's shortcut note: Make the batter the night before. Let time do the work. The flour hydrates fully, giving you an even more spectacular puff. Want to make it yours? Swap Fontina for Gruyère, or toss some chili flakes on top. Just wait for that wobble in the center before pulling it out. Don't skip this: The preheated pan is non-negotiable. If it doesn't sizzle, it won't puff.
Featured Recipe
Blistered Asparagus & Fontina Slab Dutch Baby
A café-level brunch shouldn't trap you at the stove. This is my answer to the weekend scramble: a savory, high-hydration batter poured into a screaming hot slab pan. The oven's intense heat creates steam, puffing the edges into golden, craggy peaks while the center becomes a rich, custardy canvas for blistered asparagus and melted Fontina.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs(room temperature)
- 1 cup whole milk(room temperature)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper(freshly ground)
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus(woody ends snapped, cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup Fontina cheese(freshly grated)
- 4 tbsp cultured butter(cut into pieces)
- 1 whole lemon(zested)
Instructions
- 1
Place a bare 9x13-inch metal baking pan on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). We want the metal screaming hot to guarantee that massive, signature puff.
15 min
Tip: Using a metal slab pan instead of cast iron maximizes the crust-to-crumb ratio and gives you more crispy edges to fight over.
- 2
While the oven heats, combine 6 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a blender. Blitz on high for 30 seconds until entirely smooth. Leave it in the blender to rest. Hydrating the flour ensures the crumb is airy and lacy, not tight like a bad alibi.
5 min
Tip: Resting the batter relaxes the gluten. Don't skip this, or your Dutch baby will be tough.
- 3
Prep the veg. Take your 1 bunch fresh asparagus, snap the woody ends off, and slice the spears into 2-inch pieces. Toss them in a small bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil so they roast rather than dry out in the extreme heat. Set aside alongside your freshly grated 1 cup Fontina cheese.
5 min
Tip: Snap the asparagus by hand; the spear will naturally break exactly where the woody part ends.
- 4
Carefully remove the blazing-hot pan from the oven. Drop in 4 tbsp cultured butter. It should immediately sizzle, foam, and begin to smell nutty. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom and sides thoroughly. Remember: butter is not a garnish, it's the frying medium that creates our crust.
2 min
Tip: Work quickly here. You want the pan to retain as much thermal mass as possible.
- 5
Pour the rested batter directly into the bubbling butter. Quickly scatter the dressed asparagus and grated Fontina evenly across the surface. Do not stir. Immediately return the pan to the oven.
1 min
Tip: The butter will pool around the edges of the batter—this is exactly what gives you the coveted crispy, lacy edges.
- 6
Bake undisturbed. Do not open the oven door. Let time and steam do the work. Watch through the glass as the edges climb the pan to form towering, golden, lacy crags. It is ready when deeply browned and aggressively puffed.
20 min
Tip: Opening the door lets out the steam required for the puff. Trust the process.
- 7
Pull the slab from the oven. It will immediately begin to deflate into a gorgeous, craggy landscape—this is exactly what it should do. Grate the zest of 1 whole lemon directly over the hot surface to wake everything up. Slice into massive squares and serve. We're not suffering for brunch.
2 min
Tip: Serve immediately. A Dutch baby waits for no one.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: Blend the batter the night before and stash it in the fridge. Cold batter hitting a rippling-hot pan yields even more dramatic, towering edges. Don't skip preheating the pan—that initial thermal shock is the absolute non-negotiable for avoiding a sad, flat pancake.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.