Popover vs. Turnover — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 27, 2024
A popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter, whereas a turnover is a pastry filled with fruit or meat and folded over. Popovers are airy and puffed, while turnovers are stuffed and folded.
Difference Between Popover and Turnover
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Popovers, made from a simple egg batter, rely on steam to 'pop' and form a hollow center during baking. On the other hand, turnovers consist of pastry dough that envelops a sweet or savory filling, creating a portable, filled treat.
While popovers are often served as a bread accompaniment to meals, turnovers function as self-contained snacks or desserts, showcasing versatility from breakfast to dinner. Whereas popovers are minimalist in ingredients, turnovers invite creativity with their fillings, ranging from apple slices to spiced meats.
The texture of popovers is notably light and airy with a crispy exterior, thanks to the high moisture content that creates steam while baking. In contrast, turnovers are prized for their flaky or puff pastry crust that encases the filling, offering a contrast in textures from the outer layer to the inner contents.
Popovers are typically baked in special popover pans or muffin tins that allow for vertical expansion, emphasizing their unique shape. Meanwhile, turnovers are shaped by hand or molds, then sealed to keep the filling inside during baking, highlighting the craft in pastry making.
Serving popovers often involves a simple presentation, sometimes with butter or jam, underscoring their role as a versatile side dish. Turnovers, however, can be glazed, sugared, or served with sauces, making them a standalone dish or dessert with a decorative appeal.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A light, airy roll made from egg batter.
A pastry filled and folded over with sweet or savory ingredients.
Ingredients
Eggs, flour, milk, salt.
Pastry dough, fruit or meat fillings, sugar (for sweet turnovers).
Texture
Airy, hollow, crispy exterior.
Flaky or puff pastry, filled interior.
Serving Time
Often served with meals as bread.
Served as a snack or dessert.
Preparation
Baked in popover or muffin pans.
Shaped, filled, and baked.
Compare with Definitions
Popover
A light, baked roll made with an egg batter.
For breakfast, she served fresh popovers with strawberry jam.
Turnover
Versatile in filling choices.
For lunch, they enjoyed savory turnovers filled with spinach and feta.
Popover
Requires high heat to 'pop' and expand.
Ensure the oven is preheated to get the perfect popover rise.
Turnover
A pastry filled with sweet or savory ingredients and folded over.
She made apple turnovers for the school bake sale.
Popover
Known for its hollow inside once baked.
The popover's hollow center makes it perfect for filling with butter.
Turnover
Can be made with puff or pie pastry.
His cherry turnovers used homemade puff pastry for extra flakiness.
Popover
Made with minimal ingredients.
Despite their simple ingredients, popovers taste exceptionally rich and complex.
Turnover
Served as snacks or desserts.
After dinner, they had warm turnovers with vanilla ice cream.
Popover
Often served as a side.
Popovers accompanied the roast chicken, adding an elegant touch to dinner.
Turnover
Often glazed or sugared on top.
The peach turnovers were finished with a light glaze to enhance their sweetness.
Popover
A popover is a light roll made from an egg batter similar to that of Yorkshire pudding, typically baked in muffin tins or dedicated popover pans, which have straight-walled sides rather than angled. Popovers may be served either as a sweet, topped with fruit and whipped cream; or, butter and jam for breakfast; or, with afternoon tea; or, with meats at lunch and dinner.
Turnover
The amount of money taken by a business in a particular period
A turnover approaching £4 million
Popover
A very light, hollow muffin made with eggs, milk, and flour.
Turnover
The rate at which employees leave a workforce and are replaced
High staff turnover left the program with too many young instructors
An annual turnover of staff as high as 100%
Popover
(US) A light hollow muffin, resembling an individual Yorkshire pudding.
Turnover
A small pie made by folding a piece of pastry over on itself to enclose a sweet filling
An apple turnover
Popover
(internet) A pop-up element that is rendered over the current web page rather than opening a new tab or window.
Turnover
(in a game) a loss of possession of the ball to the opposing team
The team were sitting on their lead and taking care to avoid turnovers
Popover
A kind of versatile wraparound dress.
Turnover
The act or fact of turning over
Preventing the turnover of vehicles in accidents.
Popover
Light hollow muffin made of a puff batter (individual Yorkshire pudding) baked in a deep muffin cup
Turnover
An abrupt change or transfer, as of power or ownership.
Turnover
A small pastry made by covering one half of a piece of dough with a filling, folding the other half over on top, and sealing the edges.
Turnover
The number of times a particular stock of goods is sold and restocked during a given period of time.
Turnover
The amount of business transacted during a given period of time.
Turnover
The number of shares of stock sold on the market during a given period of time.
Turnover
The number of things that are replaced by others of the same kind, or the rate at which this happens
The turnover of red blood cells.
A rapid turnover of hospital patients.
Turnover
The number of workers that have left a workplace or industry and been replaced in a given period of time, or the rate at which this happens.
Turnover
The ratio of this number to the number of employed workers in a workplace.
Turnover
(Sports) A loss of possession of the ball or puck to the opposing team, as by a misplay or an infraction of the rules.
Turnover
Capable of being turned or folded down or over
A turnover collar.
Turnover
The amount of money taken as sales transacted in a given period.
The company had an annual turnover of $500,000.
Turnover
The frequency with which stock is replaced after being used or sold, workers leave and are replaced, a property changes hands, etc.
High staff-turnover can lead to low morale amongst employees
Those apartments have a high turnover because they are so close to the railroad tracks.
Turnover
A semicircular pastry made by turning one half of a circular crust over the other, enclosing the filling (usually fruit).
They only served me one apple turnover for breakfast.
Turnover
(sports) A loss of possession of the ball without scoring.
The Nimrods committed another dismaying turnover en route to another humiliating loss.
Turnover
A measure of leg speed: the frequency with which one takes strides when running, typically given in strides per minute.
Turnover
The act or result of overturning something; an upset.
A bad turnover in a carriage
Turnover
(dated) An apprentice, in any trade, who is handed over from one master to another to complete his time.
Turnover
Capable of being turned over; designed to be turned over.
A turnover collar
Turnover
The act or result of turning over; an upset; as, a bad turnover in a carriage.
Turnover
A semicircular pie or tart made by turning one half of a circular crust over the other, inclosing the fruit or other materials; as, an apple turnover.
Turnover
An apprentice, in any trade, who is handed over from one master to another to complete his time.
Turnover
Admitting of being turned over; made to be turned over; as, a turnover collar, etc.
Turnover
The ratio of the number of workers that had to be replaced in a given time period to the average number of workers
Turnover
Made by folding a piece of pastry over a filling
Turnover
The volume measured in dollars;
The store's dollar volume continues to rise
Turnover
The act of upsetting something;
He was badly bruised by the upset of his sled at a high speed
Common Curiosities
What is a turnover?
A turnover is a pastry filled with sweet or savory ingredients, then folded and sealed before baking.
How are popovers served?
Popovers are often served as a side dish with meals, sometimes with butter or jam.
How are turnovers sealed to prevent filling from leaking?
The edges of the pastry are often crimped or pressed together firmly to seal the turnovers before baking.
What makes popovers rise and become hollow?
The high moisture content in the batter turns to steam in the oven, causing popovers to rise and become hollow.
Can popovers be flavored?
Yes, popovers can be flavored with ingredients like cheese or herbs mixed into the batter.
Are popovers difficult to make?
Popovers are relatively easy to make, requiring few ingredients and a simple mixing process.
Can turnovers be frozen before baking?
Yes, turnovers can be assembled and frozen, then baked straight from the freezer with adjusted cooking times.
What is a popover?
A popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter that 'pops' over the edge of the tin while baking.
Can turnovers be sweet or savory?
Yes, turnovers can be made with either sweet or savory fillings, making them versatile.
What is the origin of popovers?
Popovers are an American version of Yorkshire pudding, adapted from English recipes.
What kind of fillings can turnovers have?
Turnovers can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including fruits, meats, or cheeses.
Do I need a special pan to make popovers?
While a special popover pan is ideal for achieving the classic shape, muffin tins can also be used.
What pastry is best for turnovers?
Both puff pastry and pie pastry are popular choices, depending on the desired texture.
How long do turnovers take to bake?
The baking time for turnovers varies but generally ranges from 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size and filling.
Are popovers eaten worldwide?
While popovers are more common in American cuisine, similar dishes can be found in other cultures under different names.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
