It’s hard to find a good crumpet recipe. Most of the ones I’ve tried in the past have turned out as doughy fat pancakes, lacking the characteristic holes and texture of an old-fashioned crumpet.
I was excited and optimistic when I found this recipe – it was quite different to previous ones I’d tried, and as you can see from the photo above, it was a great success!
I tweaked the quantities and methodology a little and was delighted with the end result. The original recipe is here – it’s a great read and has lots of useful tips on the cooking process.
- 240g/8oz bakers flour (bread flour)
- 240g/8oz plain (AP) flour
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar, sifted
- 10g or 1 sachet dry yeast
- 500ml/2 cups tepid water
- 7g fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 140ml/5oz milk, at room temperature (I used UHT milk)
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flours, sifted cream of tartar and dry yeast (don’t add the salt at this stage).
2. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the water. Starting from the centre and gradually working outwards, stir with a wooden or silicone spoon to form a thick, smooth batter. Beat well by hand for two minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm spot for an hour. Below is a photo of the mixed batter, before resting.
3. Add the salt and beat the batter for another minute to incorporate. Cover the bowl again and allow to rest for another 20 minutes.
4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the room temperature milk. Stir this into the batter gently. The thickness of the batter will determine whether or not the crumpets will set properly – if it is too thick, the crumpets will lack holes, but if it’s too thin, the mixture will run out of the bottom of the rings. Here’s a photo of the batter after the milk and bicarb have been added.
5. To test the batter, heat a frypan or griddle over a medium-low heat until hot. I used a heat resistant non-stick pan. Depending on your pan, you might need to add just a tiny bit of butter or oil to stop the batter from sticking.
6. Grease a crumpet ring and place it in the middle of the pan. Spoon batter into the ring – my 10cm/4″ rings needed 1/3 cup of batter each. Allow the crumpet to cook over low heat. If the test crumpet doesn’t form holes, you’ll need to gently stir a little more lukewarm water into the batter – I needed to add several tablespoons of water to achieve the consistency below.
7. The cooking process involves a little trial and error. The crumpets need to be cooked until the tops are covered with holes and the bottoms are quite brown. The original recipe suggests 7 to 8 minutes over a low heat for this stage. Photo below of the crumpets midway through the cooking process.
8. Once the tops are covered with holes that keep their shape, carefully remove the rings and flip the crumpets over, cooking the tops for just a couple of minutes to set them. Re-grease the rings well after each use. As the crumpets will be toasted before eating, be careful not to overcook them at this stage.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe
We ate our crumpets toasted and spread with butter and honey, and with Pete’s new cherry and strawberry jam. A perfect weekend treat!
Celia: I absolutely love crumpets – especially toasted and eaten round the fire in winter! I bought some crumpet rings and made some several years ago and they just did not work at all and I have not tried since. I was thinking only last Sunday eve (as we were munching some shop bought ones) that I ought to try a different recipe and try again … and lo and behold you post this!
Thank you – I will try again.
hopeeternal
‘Meanderings through my Cookbook’
I made these a LONG time ago- but the recipe was very like yours. I liked them-but don’t think the men did so very much.
Thanks for the recipe and reminder, Celia, I’ll be making them again soon. :)
Oh my, they do look like shop bought crumpets. What a good mix!
They look very professional, Celia – well done!
The cherry and strawberry jam sounds delicious too.
I would love to know the difference between “crumpets” and what we in the U.S. know as “English Muffins”. I have been told there is a difference but I can’t quite see it.
I wonder if the original recipe used rings or the muffins were made just like pancakes… cool stuff. They look yum!
Maz
Oh, you are breaking my heart! You have no idea for how long I’ve been dreaming of making crumpets!
I even have the rings back in Oklahoma, but never made them. That does it. I am making this recipe – it’s a promise – as soon as we are settled back in our kitchen.
Whenever I’m up to a challenge in my culinary kitchen antics I think I’ll take up this challenge!They look great and yes the texture of the bubbled surface looks just perfect.
Perfection Celia! x
I have never made these. I love crumpets but the bought ones can be a bit on the rubbery side. Bet these ones are delish :)
Thank you all! :)
Patricia, English muffins are very different – they’re a bread, whereas crumpets are more like a pancake in texture.
Hope, I’ve tried a few times before and ended up with fat, holeless things, so I was pretty excited about these. My friend Maude made a batch yesterday as well to test the recipe out, and she was really happy with them. I didn’t count, but she got 14 x 10cm crumpets from the mix (my boys were eating mine as soon as they came out of the pan! :)).
Sally, I hope you enjoy the recipe, I’m pretty sure you could use smaller egg rings as well, although obviously you might need to adjust the cooking time.
When I saw the crumpet rings on the other post I was hoping we were in for a crumpet recipe. I’ve been looking on the net for awhile but with no luck. I did find a sourdough crumpet recipe but it didn’t sound too hopeful when I read the ingredients and method. I’ll give this one a try – all I need is the crumpet rings! Thanks for the recipe.
These look so fantastic Celia! The larger ring size is great. I bet there were none leftover though!
Can we have the recipe for cherry and strawberry jam too please? I’m still picking strawberries here, we planted a few different varieties, and even a white strawberry that’s supposed to fool the birds that’s it’s not ripe. I don’t worry about the birds, it’s my dog that nibbles them off the plants- I think he sniffs them out, but we’ll see….
Thanks for the links back to our basic recipe! I’m delighted they worked so well for you. Also, your pictures are terrific. :)
BTW, @Patricia: classic British muffins are related to North American “English muffins,” but not identical. We have an 18th-century recipe for those (updated) here:
http://www.europeancuisines.com/England-English-Muffins
Regards! — ECL
P.S The easiest and fastest, and the way we do it in the restaurant, way to grease rings/eggrings between uses is to have a little bowl of oil to just dip them into with tongs. This way you don’t have to get all mucky or worry about burning your fingers. I have tried spray oil before, but it gets messy and all over the place. Trust me, this is the best.
My goodness. As if homemade cherry and strawberry jam isn’t special enough. But homemade crumpets!!! Insane. You guys are amazing. The pics are fantastic and procedure is well explained. I’m still shaking my head as I write. Unbelievable.
Meaghan, if you can’t get crumpet rings, you should be able to find large egg rings. I bought my rings at Chefs’ Warehouse in Sydney’s Surry Hills – they’re stainless steel and were $7 each.
Becca, thanks for the tip re greasing the rings! Re the cherry and strawberry jam, that was a one-off Pete creation – we had frozen strawberries from when they were in season at the markets, plus cherries that needed to be used up, so Pete just cooked them together with our homemade apple pectin, lemon juice and sugar. He tries to use as little sugar as he can get away with, adding more if needed to get the jam to set. Sorry I don’t have more precise quantities!
EuroCuisineLady, thank you for such a fabulous recipe! I’ll check out your muffin recipe now! :)
Mariana, thank you! The boys wolfed them down, and Big Boy asked me to make more (as he was eating the last one). :)
I’ve made crumpets very successfully in the past. Perhaps a little too successfully, really.
A freshly made crumpet, dripping with homemade lemon butter is very close to heaven. And the more of them I eat, the closer my clogged arteries will take me to heaven!
Sigh…I know what you mean, A. Although we didn’t smother ours in butter (unlike when I was young!). :)
Stainless steel crumpet rings @ $7 per! Humm… Thank you just the same, I think I’ll continue cutting the top and bottom out of the tuna cans instead. Actually, I’m glad to see that some folks in this world have spare $ – it keeps the economy humming – but I, unfortunately, have to save mine for other things – like food and shelter.
Doc, I don’t have tuna cans large enough, plus I’m pretty sure the serrated edges would damage my non-stick pan – false economy for me. I don’t mind investing $21 in something that I’ll probably be using once a month from now on. :)
These look good Celia. Monkey Boy has a soft spot for the old crumpet and I’ve been meaning to make some for a long time now… (even rescued some round egg thingys from my mums), but still haven’t tried them. I was thinking sourdough ones, but maybe I’ll give yours a crack first to see what they are like… all in the name of research!
Congratulations! You get this week’s bread baking hero award from me! I will try again – the one and only time I tried they were completely blind and just so not crumpets.
I double toast mine as I like them really crunchy on the outside to contrast with the deliriously soft, buttery honey drenched insides……or the more sedate version with Marmite… also delicious, or with a poached egg on top (only to be eaten with grubby clothes on)
‘crumpets are more like a pancake in texture’ what sort of pancakes are those? Not crepes I’m guessing. :)
Yae! Glad that you got to use the rings you bought from the Chef’s warehouse. I do agree that good crumpet mixtures are hard to find. How do you think it’ll turn out if it was made with 100% AP flour?
I make a much simpler and quicker version of these crumpets (probably fat pancakes but not doughy), yours however definitely win, hands down.
:-) Mandy
Brydie, I think I tried making sourdough ones once, but found them too hard and flat. If you ever nail a good recipe, please let me know! :)
Joanna, O Bread Queen, thank you! :) I never thought to try them with a poached egg, how perfect would that be! Re the crumpets are more like pancakes, I guess they’re more like thick pikelets..to me, English muffins are decidedly bready, whereas crumpets are a batter thingy.. ;-)
Soy, I’m sorry, I don’t know how they’d turn out with all plain flour – I’ve only made them the once. Maude tried them as well, but she used a mix of plain and bread flour as well. The originator of the recipe – EuroCuisineLady – left a comment above, so hopefully she’ll chime in on the flour issue…
Mandy, thank you! :)
OMG freshly cooked crumpets are like heaven on earth… *drooling*
They look perfect Celia – well done. Now can you figure out a gluten-free version for me…? Please?! :)
Lorraine, thank you! :)
SG, sorry love, you’re on your own with that one. Do let me know if you ever figure it out though! :)
Your crumpets look fantastic! Mine always turn out like rocks…not lovely like yours!!
Thanks for sharing. They look gorgeous. I’m now looking forward to Sunday breakfast.
They look amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen homemade crumpets with such a successful amount of holes in them. Thanks for the step by step account, and particularly for the picture of the batter consistency. I really must get round to making crumpets soon. And now you’ve shown me how, and how successful they can be, I’ve got no excuse!
Oh man, there goes the diet again!
It’s 10 p.m. here and your crumpets have started my stomach grumbling…I fed it plenty of dinner…honest! As always your food and pictures are a great inspiration. Now I need to see if I can find somewhere to buy crumpet rings! :-)
Yum, yum, yum! Fresh and hot from the toaster with butter and honey..my favourite way to eat them ..but oh, how nice they must be homemade!! Have you tried freezing any of them?
Jumping in here – I made the recipe yesterday and froze the ones we didn’t inhale right away. I pulled one out for my son’s breakfast this morning and it was still tasty. I toasted it right from the freezer.
Your post has just been roadtested by Brian, and he has made perfect crumpets from it. So I’m retiring. See you around ;)
Great post and I’ve had a go just now while Madam read the paper. She says I can take over the baking now :)
Mrs Bok, full credit goes to EuroCuisineLady, her recipe really is a winner! Hope you’ll give it a go! :)
Tricia, you’re most welcome, hope you enjoyed them!
C, thank you – they’re great fun to make. Big Boy keeps asking me when I’m going to make them again!
Lee, sorry buddy.. ;-)
Cindy, thank you! I hope you can find crumpet rings, but if not, large egg rings should work. A friend told me a little while ago that she found some in a camping store, of all places.. :)
Chris, I’ve never tried freezing them, but I will next time!
Jo & Brian, you guys brightened my Sunday morning! B, thanks for trying out the recipe – can’t wait to see pics! :)
Those look wonderful! My son loves crumpets – I’ll definitely have to try this recipe. One question though – I’m in Seattle and I’m not familiar with baker’s flour – is it the same as cake flour or is it bread flour? Thanks!
Lynn, bakers flour is bread flour – I’ll amend accordingly. Thanks!
Thanks Celia! We have mid-winter school break this week – I know what I’m making for a treat!
Just made them today and they are amazing! I got two thumbs up from both boys (and me.) We are supposed to have snow this afternoon so they were just perfect. What a great recipe!
Hooray, so glad you enjoyed them Lynn! Thanks for letting me know! :)
I just don’t come across crumpets in NYC. I’m sure some of the UK expat hangouts have them (e.g. Tea and Sympathy) but still. Having just completed a big ol’ batch of Pumelo Marmalade this afternoon I sure wish I had a crumpet to go with…
Sean, thanks for stopping by, I hope you track down some crumpets, or get a chance to make some, because that marmalade certainly sounds like it deserves a good foil! :)
Hi Celia,
Thks for sharing this wonderful crumpet recipe! I tried making a batch this morning and they were an astounding success!! These crumpets are waaa…yy better in taste and texture than store bought crumpets! Even my 14yr old daughter who doesnt really care for crumpets exclaimed it was delicious!
Here are pic of my crumpets –
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii13/sspaks64/crumpets-1.jpg and http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii13/sspaks64/crumpet-1.jpg
Susanna, Perth
Susanna, they look wonderful, much better than mine! What a great job you’ve done! :)
Hi Celia,
I also need to thank you for the recipe.
I tried your crumpets yeasterday and they are delicious!
My 3 and half years old boy really enjoyed them.
http://francescaspalluto.blogspot.com/2011/02/crumpets.html
I only had an issue sometimes with the dough sticking to the rings, although I buttered them and preheated in the pan.
Thanks again for the wonderful recipe, it going to be a staple in our house.
Francesca
Francesca, they look wonderful! Thanks for letting me know. So glad your son enjoyed them! :)
I haven’t tried it, but Rebecca above suggested having a bowl of oil and simply dipping the whole ring in before popping it into the pan – might work? (I buttered mine too, like you did, and they stuck a little bit, but not much).
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