Ingredients
Batter
- 300 gstrong white flour
- 7 gdried yeast
- 1 teaspooncaster sugar
- 200 mlwarm milk
- 200 mlwarm water
- 1 teaspoonsalt
To activate
- 1/2 teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoonswarm water
To cook
- butter or oil, for the rings and the griddle
To serve
- butter
- jam, honey or Marmite
Equipment
- metal crumpet rings, about 9 cm across
- a heavy flat griddle or frying pan
Directions
- Butter melts down into them when it is toasted. The batter must be loose enough for bubbles to rise. Warm the milk and water together until lukewarm. It should feel neutral against your wrist. Stir the yeast and sugar into it. Leave it for ten minutes until it froths.
- Put the flour and salt into a large bowl. Pour in all of the yeasted liquid. Beat it hard with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Beat for a full three minutes. The batter should be smooth and thick. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.
- Leave it somewhere warm for an hour. It should double and be covered in bubbles. Pour it into the risen batter. Stir it in gently but thoroughly. Let it stand for fifteen minutes.
- Use it within about half an hour. Cooking them takes practice with the heat. Set a heavy griddle over a medium-low heat. Let it heat up thoroughly for five minutes.
- Grease the inside of the rings well. Grease the griddle lightly as well. Set the rings on the hot surface. Spoon the batter into each ring. Fill them about two centimetres deep. Do not fill them more than halfway. Lift the rings away with tongs. Flip each crumpet with a palette knife.
- Cook the top side for one minute only. It should be barely coloured, not brown. Lift them onto a wire rack to cool. Grease the rings again between batches. Serving them is done well toasted.
- Toast them hole side up until golden. Butter them heavily while they are hot. They keep for three days in a bag.
Technique
- A pikelet is made from the same batter cooked without a ring, giving a flatter cake with fewer holes.
- An English muffin is a kneaded dough rather than a batter and is a quite different thing.
Substitutions
- All the liquid can be water rather than milk, which gives a slightly chewier crumpet.
- Metal cooking rings or well-cleaned tuna tins with the ends removed both work in place of crumpet rings.
Variations
- Pikelets use the same batter with no ring.
- Some recipes add a little more sugar for a sweeter crumpet.
- Welsh and Scottish variants of griddled batter cakes are close relatives.
Frequently asked questions
What is Crumpet?
Crumpet is a bread & pastry from United Kingdom: holey griddled yeast cake, toasted and buttered.
How long does Crumpet take to make?
Crumpet takes 20 minutes plus 1 hour rising of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 10 crumpets. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Crumpet?
Yes, within limits. All the liquid can be water rather than milk, which gives a slightly chewier crumpet. Metal cooking rings or well-cleaned tuna tins with the ends removed both work in place of crumpet rings.
What is the most important thing to get right in Crumpet?
Butter melts down into them when it is toasted. The batter must be loose enough for bubbles to rise. Warm the milk and water together until lukewarm. It should feel neutral against your wrist. Stir the yeast and sugar into it. Leave it for ten minutes until it froths.
