Crumpets are a big deal in the UK, and if you’re not from there, you may not know exactly what a crumpet is. And you wouldn’t be alone, since most people outside of England aren’t so familiar with this trendy little breakfast food. In fact, many people confuse the crumpet with the more popular English muffin and think they’re the same thing. However, they’re not the same and there are a few small differences that are immediately noticeable. For starters, crumpets are only cooked on one side. This creates a toasted flat bottom and a top that’s fluffy and porous (which allows butter and other toppings to really soak through the dough once they’re done cooking.
Crumpets are usually eaten at breakfast, but they’re also a popular snack during the English afternoon tea time. If that’s the case, instead of serving hot with butter, they may substitute clotted cream (a thick sweet cream) and jelly to make it a sweeter snack.
How to Make Crumpets
Crumpets are a very simple dish to make. Similar to biscuits in that they require basic ingredients, such as: flour; milk; water; butter; baking powder; yeast; and salt. To start, make sure you have all the above ingredients, and you’ll also need metal muffin rings that you’ll use to hold the batter in the shape of a cylinder while they’re cooking in the frying pan.
Mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl:
- 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
Using a stand mixer (or a spoon, if you want a good workout), mix thoroughly for a few minutes until all of the ingredients are combined. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and spread a Tbsp of olive oil inside to coat the bottom of the skillet. Once the skillet has heated up, add the metal muffin rings into the skillet (4-5 if they’ll fit). Next, spoon about a quarter of a cup of the batter into each ring (the batter should be slightly more than halfway to the top of the ring).
Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the top of the crumpet is white and topped with air bubbles (the tops of each should look pockmarked). Using tongs, carefully remove the metal rings. The bottoms of the crumpets should be lighted browned and toasted – but not burnt. If you need to, you can flip them and cook the other side for a minute or two, but keep in mind, a true crumpet doesn’t get cooked on both sides – just the bottom.
Serve immediately while they’re still warm and top with room temperature butter and jam. Or be like the Brits and serve them up with clotted cream and a side of tea.
Do you like crumpets? Have you ever made them? Share your tips and tricks for how to make crumpets with us in the comments section below!
