Making Pavlova

Pavlovas seem simple enough, but they reward care and patience. Flour and Stone’s NADINE INGRAM whisks us through the essentials.

- David Matthews

Sydney’s Flour and Stone is a small-batch kind of bakery, but Nadine Ingram says she’s still made thousands of pavs. So before we direct you to our pavlova feature (on p110) we thought we’d ask her advice. “We’re after a crisp shell with a marshmallow centre,” Ingram says. “I make the pavlovas at the end of the day, then the oven gets turned off and they sit in it overnight to set.” Ingram also cautions against overwhipping or adding the sugar too quickly, which can result in fissures. “Starting at medium speed will ensure the pavlova isn’t too aerated (yes, it’s a thing), and have more cracks than you’re after,” she says, but it’s a question of balance. “As Stephanie Alexander says, ‘a pavlova should be suitably cracked’.”

Step by step