Flavours Column: Homemade Crumpets

Who needs supermarket crumpets when you can make these?! 

Okay, yes, sometimes having a packet of ready-made crumpets on hand does satisfy a quick breakfast/snack need, but there’s no reason why you can’t whip up a batch of your own and keep them in the fridge or freezer. 

They are easy to make, don’t require special ingredients or take a lot of time unlike other breads. The only slightly unusual item you need to make these delicious breakfast treats is round metal rings to cook them in. These are easily found in kitchen shops sold as ‘egg rings’ or simply use round cookie cutters like I did. You might find you already have some rattling around in your kitchen drawer (also like I did). 

This recipe makes at least twelve golden brown crumpets and they are just as delicious freshly toasted from the pan as they are hot from the toaster the next day. I ate them with homemade rhubarb jam. And then with honey. And then with marmite. And then with peanut butter. That is literally what I did. But not one after the other. I swear. 

Homemade Crumpets

Published in the Bay of Plenty Times, Weds 16th Oct 2013

Adapted from Paul Hollywood's recipe found here. 

200g high-grade flour

150g plain flour

2 x 8g sachets of instant yeast

1 teaspoon of honey

350ml warm milk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

175ml warm water

Mix flours and yeast together (the high grade flour helps give structure to the crumpets’ bubbles). Dissolve honey in the warm milk and beat into the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue beating for a few minutes to create a thick, smooth batter. Cover and rest for 30mins. Mix baking soda and salt into the warm water. Beat into the batter until smooth and rest again for 30mins. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and grease with butter or cooking spray. Grease the inside of the metal rings. Sit the rings in the pan and drop a large spoonful of batter into each. After a few minutes bubbles will appear on the surface, wait another minute then gently flip the crumpets over and cook for another 3 minutes. Crumpets are ready when both sides are golden and they feel springy when pressed.

Weekly Tip: Keep homemade crumpets in the fridge or freezer and drop them into the toaster as needed.