crumpets for mornings at home
“Now that the supermarkets are selling out of basically everything, we’re going to have to learn how to cook. Never has cooking been such a valuable skill to have - is cooking cool again?! Either way I plan on helping you out in that area. Here’s a pantry staple we all need right now: comforting and rather wonderfully delicious.”
makes 10 | preparation 10 minutes, plus 1 hour rising |cooking 20 minutes
2 x 7 g (1⁄4 oz) sachets dry yeast
875 ml (30 fl oz/31⁄2 cups) milk, warmed to about 36°C (97°F), plus extra (optional)
450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
butter, for greasing, plus extra to serve
honey or maple syrup, to serve
Dissolve the yeast in 60 ml (2 fl oz/1⁄4cup) of the warm milk in a small bowl.
Mix together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture with the rest of the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon, starting in the middle and gradually drawing in the remaining flour as you mix, to form a batter. Add a little more warm milk, if needed. Set aside in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, or until a little frothy.
Heat a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add a tiny knob of butter to grease the pan, and place heavily greased metal egg or crumpet rings, about 10 cm (4 in) diameter, 2 cm (3⁄4 in) deep, on the pan, allowing them to heat up.
Pour in about 125 ml (4 fl oz/1⁄2 cup) of batter, or enough to fill each ring. Cook for 3–4 minutes, or until bubbles form on the surface and the batter begins to set, then turn the rings over and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Alternatively, place under a hot grill (broiler) to cook the top. Serve with butter and honey.
This recipe appeared in my third book Margaret and Me (Murdoch Books), photo by Rob Palmer.