Crumpets

If I'd realised they were so easy to make, I'd've made crumpets years ago!

Crumpets are yeast-leavened pancakes that are cooked on a girdle, supported by a metal ring. The name is believed to possibly be a borrowing into English of the Welsh word crempog, meaning a pancake.

Freshly-baked crumpets make you realise how stale and old the ones you buy in the shops really are. So next time you fancy some crumpets for tea, get cooking.




Makes about 12 crumpets.

• 0.5 lb plain flour
• half a tsp of sugar
• half a tsp of salt 
• quarter tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon easy blend yeast
• 12.5 fluid oz milk

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Warm the milk slightly - microwave for a minute will do.
Gradually beat the milk into the rest of the ingredients to form a smooth batter.
Cover the bowl with a clean teatowel and let prove in a warm location - airing cupboard by the hot water tank - for an hour or so until it has doubled.
Grease a girdle and some metal crumpet rings.
Heat the girdle til water drops scattered onto it immediately sizzle and dance. Turn down the heat to low.
Put a ring onto the girdle and spoon a quarter cup measure of batter into it.
As the crumpet cooks, large bubbles form and burst to form holes.
Once the edges of the crumpet have cooked and shrunk away from the ring, lift it off and place it ready to fill for the next crumpet. Get a production line of the things going.
When the crumpet is mostly cooked but still a little bit wet on top, turn it over for a couple of minutes to finish off.

Eat fresh and warm, topped with butter and homemade jam.

 Categories: English yeast bread