A Yorkshire pudding works on the same principle as a French pâte a choux, the thin pastry used to make cream puffs, Parisian-style gnocchi, and gougères. Those recipes all start with a high-moisture dough and rely on the power of steam to puff and rise into their light, crisp final forms.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/food-lab-yorkshire-pudding-popover-best-method-science.html