I'm working on a new story and crumpets play a key part in the tale, so I decided to make some. To my knowledge I've never even tasted them before, so it would be a good experiment.
Wanting to use a true British recipe, I reached out to a wonderful friend in England and she shared one that was easy enough even I could follow the step by step directions.
For all my British friends out there – my apologies for messing with your long-standing traditions! Here is a link to some crumpet history, if you are unfamiliar with them.
The key component of crumpets, from my limited understanding, is to have plenty of holes in the surface for butter to melt into. Crumpets were quite popular for tea time in the 1800s and many British families enjoy them today, particularly for breakfast. You can top them with jam, eat them plain – but most definitely serve them with a spot of tea.
Beat until you have a smooth batter (about 3-4 minutes).
Cover and let rise for 20 minutes to an hour. The dough should be full of lovely little holes.
You want the consistency to be like heavy cream. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
On medium heat, using a griddle or cast iron skillet, heat a little oil. You will need rings (and you can purchase crumpet rings, but I used these pancake rings I had on hand. You could also use a round cookie cutter, a jar ring, etc.) Make sure the rings are well greased then spoon in batter.
Cook about two minutes, until tops are bubbly. Remove the ring then turn over. I used a regular dinner knife to flip them over and it worked great.
See the holes in the surface? Holes mean places for butter to drip into and create all manner of deliciousness.
Eat them hot out of the pan with butter, top with some jam if you want a little sweetness to it. If you don't serve immediately, make sure you toast them before eating. They are much better warm than cold.
Mix flour and yeast in a bowl. Set aside.
Warm milk until it no longer feels cool to the touch, but isn't hot. (Think baby bottle temperature.) Add sugar and stir until dissolved then stir into flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
Continue stirring 3-4 minutes until batter is smooth. (This is great exercise for your arms!) Cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes, up to an hour.
It should rise up in the bowl and have holes on the surface.
Fill a measuring cup almost full of warm water. Stir in the baking soda and salt until dissolved, then slowly add to the batter. You want the consistency to be like heavy cream. If it still seems too thick, add a little more water. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
Spoon the batter into the rings until they are about three-fourths full. Cook a couple of minutes until bubbles appear and the surface looks set. Remove rings, turn over and cook another two to three minutes.
Serve immediately or toast before eating with plenty of butter.
Do you think crumpets are what we in the US have changed into English muffins?
From my understanding, they are similar, but different. English muffins have the "holes" inside whereas crumpets have them outside and aren't sliced open before toasting.