In the midst of winter the English breakfast treat for any time of the day is the crumpet. But a crumpet is no longer a crumpet. If you buy them from the shops, they are now a thin piece of dough, getting more and more wafer like each year. Do you long for the thick, soft, wonderful crumpet of your youth?
You can make them at home. It is not hard. I made them the other day, and with practice will get a better looking crumpet. But you cannot beat them for taste.
I found some flour at Goodies and Grains in our Central Market that was labelled Crumpet Flour. I had to try it. It is a particularly fine flour; I guess that this means that the flour that you use in making crumpets should be sieved several times to assist the lightness and airiness of the crumpets.
This is the perfect recipe for a late Sunday breakfast. I love them - I tried them with peanut butter and with manuka honey. Tomorrow it will be with tomato and melted cheese.
But don’t keep them for breakfast. Eat them with soup, for midnight snacks and with wonderful cheesy baked vegetable dishes.
Home Made Crumpets
Source : inspired by Woman’s Day Step-by-Step Cookbook
Cuisine: English
Prep time: 5 mins plus 10 minutes or so rising time
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes: 12 or so, depending on the size of your egg rings
ingredients
2 cups plain flour or crumpet flour, sieved very well
1 Tblspn baking powder
0.75 tspn salt
0.75 tspn sugar
half a sachet of dry yeast - about 5g
1.75 cup tepid water
method
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Dissolve yeast in the water. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture. Beat until it is well combined and smooth. The batter should be pourable - towards the thick end of runny. If you need to add more water, add a small amount of tepid water.
Leave the batter in a warm place until small bubbles appear on the surface, about 5 - 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a heavy based frying pan. Lightly grease some large egg rings and place them in the an to heat. When hot, fill the rings about 2/3rd or so full with batter. Try not to fill to the top. The dough will rise a little more yet.
Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until the surface is covered with holes and is beginning to dry out.
Remove the egg rings from around the crumpets and cook for a further 2 - 3 minute until the crumpets have set and the bottom is golden brown.
Allow the crumpets to cool. When they are cold, toast them and serve with butter and honey, or whatever topping you prefer.
Read Some More
Not Quite Nigella has also cooked crumpets recently, to the tune of possum in the roof. With a whole lot of great photos.
From the Breakfast Series
- Baked Strawberries
- Blueberry Shrikhand
- Bruschetta al Pomodoro
- Butter Glazed Apples
- Fresh Pink Strawberry Frappe
- Indian Eggless Custard
- No-Knead Quick Focaccia
- Pomodori con Riso - Tomatoes stuffed with Rice
- Pomodori Grantinate - Gratineed Tomatoes
- Porridge - Indian Style
- Rizogalo - Greek Rice Pudding
- Roasted Rosemary Pears
- Thick Thick Yoghurt - how to make
- Watermelon with Haloumi
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