Outputs approximately ten crumpets.
Required Resources
9/8 cups lukewarm water
1 cup unbleached white bread flour
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup lukewarm milk
Cooking lube (spray oil works well good)
Apparatus
Griddle or frying pan with a nice flat bottom
Crumpet rings, diameter ~3.5″ (or Rosti rings or similar)
Two forks with narrow inter-tine distance
Wire cooling rack
Method
Batter Prep:
Warm 9/8 cup of water in a jug to about 110 F. Add one teaspoon dried yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar, stand in a warm place for ~10 minutes until a frothy head has formed.
Into a large mixing bowl, sift: 1 cup unbleached white bread flour, 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of gluten flour and 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and beat for four minutes. The result should be a thick, smooth batter.
Cover the bowl with a teatowel and let it stand in a warm spot until the batter rises and then falls, (about 1 hour).
Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and beat the batter for about 1 minute. Then cover the bowl and let stand in a warm spot for 15 to 20 minutes, so the batter can rest.
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1/3 cup lukewarm milk, and then gently stir into the batter.
GO TO Test Crumpet.
Test Crumpet:
Grease up a crumpet ring and the frying pan and put over a moderate heat for a few miutes. The temperature should be just before the smoke point for cooking spray.
Pour ~1/3″ depth of batter into the crumpet ring. If the temerature is correct it should sizzle just a little.
If the batter if too thin it will run ooze out from under the crumpet ring. If this happens, GO TO “Thicken The Batter”.
As the batter cooks, bubbles should form and rise to the surface. As the batter firms, the bubbles form the holes in the crumpet. The batter will firm from the outside of the crumpet towards the middle, which should take between three and five minutes. When the middle is firm, use the forks to remove the crumpet ring, and turn the crumpet over. If holes did not form properly, the batter might be too thick. GO TO “Thin The Batter”.
Cook the inverted crumpet until the holey side is chestnut brown, and then place on a cooking rack. GO TO “Cook Batch”.
Thicken The Batter:
Work a little all-purpose flour in to the batter, then GO TO “Test Crumpet”.
Thin The Batter:
Add a tablespoon of lukewarm water to the batter and gently mix. GO TO “Test Crumpet”.
Cook Batch:
Grease up all the crumpet rings you have / can fit in your pan. Heat and then pour 1.3″ depth batter into each ring. Cook until firm in the centre, invert and cook until chestnut brown. Place on cooling rack.
IF (batter not exhausted) GO TO Cook Batch ELSE GO TO Eat Crumpets.
Eat Crumpets:
This recipe creates moist, doughy crumpets. Before eating, the should be well toasted and liberally buttered.
Optimal toasting is done under the grill (broil mode of oven) on a medium temperature: cook underside first until it’s slightly crispy to the touch, invert and toast the top until it browns a little.
Alternatively, crumpets may be toasted in an electric toaster, toasted twice for a short-ish time with a minute or two’s cool-down time between toastings. This will help reduce the moisture content of the crumpet. If it’s still all doughy in the middle, more toasting is required.
When toasted, apply a big slab of salted butter. Let this soak into the holes in the crumpet, and try not to think of that glorious saturated deliciousness clogging up your arteries.
Insert into primary facehole.
Credits
Adapted from this recipe.
