Hot Homemade Crumpets with Butter...

To have never tasted a homemade crumpet in my mind is something you should put in mind to remedy at your earliest chance. The kind of crumpet that come in a pack of six and are somewhat like leathery little sponges, are quite different from the real thing, real crumpets are more substantial and satisfying. A fresh from the griddle crumpet has a golden crisp base and sides, the centre is soft and chewy, and if that is not enough the top is filled with little crunchy holes which allow you to fill them up with butter. More often thought of toasted over the fire at teatime however, I think they should be enjoyed for breakfast too. They are the perfect steadier and host for so many flavours, from stewed fruit to cheese. When topped with butter, English mustard, a poached egg and some grilled bacon, they become sensational. They are versatile and I like that in food, they go with anything sweet or savoury, try them with preserves, honey, goats cheese, marmite, whatever you can think of the crumpet is there ready to take it on. 

Conveniently crumpets can be made the day before. Cooked in the pan, cooled and kept fresh in an airtight container, then next morning, they are there ready to be toasted, lightly on both sides. To make perfectly round and uniform crumpets you will need very well buttered metal chef rings to cook them in. Rosti tin size. Upturned pastry cutters would do, they would be all different sizes however, but you may like that. Elizabeth David the cookery writer suggested a fine idea when she recommended taking the top and bottom off a tuna can. Washing them well of the residual smell and there you have your rings. Genius.

Give crumpets a chance. They are delicious in my mind. Eaten straight from the hot griddle, with butter and sometimes honey and a cup of tea, is my particular preferred way of crumpet eating, sometimes marmite. What's yours?

Crumpets

makes 12

226 gms strong white flour
1 tspn salt
1 tspn dried yeast
1 tspn caster sugar
1 tspn bicarbonate of soda
60ml warm water
285 ml full cream milk

Place your milk on the stove to heat slowly, it needs to reach blood heat. Weigh and sieve your flour into a bowl, add the salt and combine well. When the milk is ready stir in the dried yeast and sugar, combine well so that the yeast dissolves. Set aside for 20 minutes, it should have produced a light froth on the top. Make a well in the flour and stir in the milk mix. Stir all the ingredients together for 5 minutes. It should be an elastic porridgy consistency. Cover and leave somewhere warm to prove. This should take 40 minutes or so. It will have doubled in size. Warm the water and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, stir this into the dough and mix very well. Leave for a further half an hour. During this time the batter will be light and bubbly. The batter should be firm enough to stick and not run from the bottom of the rings but not too thick, filled with air bubbles. 

Heat your griddle on a medium to high heat, the trick is to cook the base first but then lower the heat to further cook the crumpet through. Butter your rings well and place on the griddle. Let them heat for a minute or so. Next spoon in the batter mix, fill almost up to the halfway mark of your ring and no further. They ahould be a cm thick, they will rise.Let it cook on the heat for three or four minutes to seal the bottom, then lower the heat. You will notice that the crumpet will start to pull away from the ring as it cooks it shrinks, the top becomes drier and is filled with holes. Tap the rings periodically allowing the bubbles to rise, this will encourage the formation of the holes which make it recognisable as a crumpet. This process will take about 12 minutes or so, you will begin to notice the top becoming dry. Now remove the ring carefully! They are incredibly hot. Flip the crumpet over and cook the top. Each new crumpet to be made in a clean and re-buttered ring. Continue through the mix until you have cooked them all, keep the others warm whilst you are doing this. Then serve however you like. They taste delicious with anything, enjoy.

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