Crumpets. Growing up Sunday tea was as much an institution as Sunday lunch. It was the best day of the week for food as it involved a yummy roast and then at tea time sandwiches or crumpets followed by cake. Of course, crumpets always came out of a packet in those days and it never occurred to me that you could make them! Now, living in France, there are certain things that we miss and I just have to make them instead.
Is there anything better than a proper English crumpet smothered in butter? Well, if you are like me, Marmite is a favourite or peanut butter but honey, jam and syrup are all delicious too.
I got a packet of 4 crumpet rings from Lakeland and they conveniently came with a recipe. They are basically metal rings about 8cm in diameter so you could use metal presentation rings or pastry cutters instead. In a food mixer put flour, a sachet of yeast, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Measure out milk into a jug and add hot water from the kettle so that the mix is lukewarm. Whisk the milk in to the flour and then cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for an hour. Melt a little butter in a non stick pan and place in the rings. I use a quarter cup scoop to measure the batter into the rings. Cook the crumpets over a medium heat until the surface is dry then remove the rings and flip over for about 10 seconds. Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture. You can either eat them straightaway or put them in the toaster or under the grill later.
They never last that long in our house. The smell of these crumpets cooking will send everyone to the kitchen! The little holes that develop in the crumpets are just waiting for the butter to seep through the crumpet.
So if you've never had an English crumpet there are no excuses as these are so fun and so easy to make. Now you just need to decide on the toppings! What's your favourite?
Don't forget to Pin it for later.
Here's another teatime treat you might like which is one of my personal favourites; Treacle Tart.
Proper Homemade Crumpets
Ingredients
- 250 g Plain flour sieved
- 1 Packet yeast 7g or 5g
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 50 ml Water
- 325 ml Milk
Instructions
- In a food mixer put flour, a sachet of yeast, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.
- Measure out milk into a jug and add hot water from the kettle so that the mix is lukewarm.
- Whisk the milk in to the flour and then cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for an hour.
- Melt a little butter in a non stick pan and place in the rings.
- Use a quarter cup scoop to measure the batter into the rings and cook the crumpets over a medium heat until the surface is dry then remove the rings and flip over for about 10 seconds.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture.
Mmm... I suppose they are both tea or breakfast breads but crumpets are served crunchy and all the butter seeps through the holes, whereas a muffin is more of a bread that is toasted. I am from the south so growing up they were a very popular Sunday tea treat and I never had an English muffin until I was in my thirties!
Are crumpets like we Americans call English Muffins? The recipe is rather similar. They look so delicious! I am definitely going to try making them!
Thanks Megala. They are so good dripping with butter!
Beautiful & scrumptious crumpets !
Thanks Mimi. They are a normal Sunday tea time for us but I know they are also great with smoked salmon and egg as breakfast too!
These are gorgeous! Maybe i should make them for christmas...