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Proper Old Fashioned Homemade Crumpets

Homemade crumpets are a wonderful breakfast, brunch or supper treat and the finest way to increase your butter intake!

Portrait image of a toasted homemade English crumpet on a white plate in front of a teapot

What are Crumpets?

When you leave your homeland there are always some foods that you miss. You either suck it up, rely on care parcels or come up with your own version.

One of those foods for me was crumpets.

I started working on this recipe almost as soon as we arrived in Hungary in 2008.

Crumpets are essentially delicious porous savoury bread sponges designed to deliver melted butter!

And anyone who has seen my old school chicken Kiev recipe will know how I love butter!

Depending where you are in the UK, they are also called pikelets. Although in my neck of the woods pikelets are not yeasted and are much flatter.

Portrait image of buttered crumpets served on a rectangular white plate with a pot of tea!

The Secret is in the Temperature!

Aside from letting the batter rise properly the real secret to cooking crumpets is the temperature of your pan.

Just like pancakes be prepared for the first one to not turn out perfectly.

Sadly all pans and all hobs are different so whilst I can hold your hand a little, this stage is all about experimentation.

However once you have your favourite pan and your favourite ring you can knock these out like shelling peas.

For me the sweet spot is one notch below what I consider to be a medium heat on my hob with a fairly heavy pan.

If your pan is too cold the mix will run out under the rings. Too hot and you will burn the base before the bubble structure has chance to form.

Portrait close up image of a toasted homemade English crumpet on a white plate in front of a teapot

How to Store and Serve Them.

This recipe will make a cool dozen crumpets and like most bread products they will last around 3-4 days.

But they do freeze wonderfully and will last for… I honestly have no idea, the notion that these things last longer than a few days really does not compute!

They need toasting before you serve them, just slide them under a broiler or into a toaster.

If you are using a broiler then you toast the holey side last.

I always serve two per serving.

Then you slather them with butter. Lots and lots of butter, no not that much… MORE BUTTER!

I have heard of people adding jam and even pate to them.

I have no idea who those people are but they are restricting your consumption of butter. Do not listen to them!

Square image of a toasted homemade English crumpet on a white plate in front of a teapot
Yield: 6 Servings

Homemade Crumpets Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Proving Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

If I am making a list of my favourite recipes then these homemade crumpets sit firmly in the top 1! These things are heavenly!

Ingredients

  • 450 g Plain Flour
  • 1 Tsp Soft Brown Sugar
  • 7 g Dried Yeast
  • 350 ml Milk
  • 350 ml Fizzy bottled water
  • 1 Tsp coarsely ground sea salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate of soda
  • Cooking Oil

Instructions

  1. Sift the yeast and flour in to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the sugar and mix together.
  3. Heat the milk and water in a pan until it reaches around 20°C or 70°F.
  4. Add to the flour mix and beat until it reaches a smooth mix,
  5. It should be halfway between un-whipped single and double cream in texture.
  6. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm room until the mix has increased in volume by almost 2 times, this should take around 2 hours.
  7. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
  8. Heat a heavy based frying pan over a heat just below medium.
  9. Add a little oil into the pan and then pour in 1.5cm of the mix to the 10cm baking rings.
  10. Allow the crumpets to slowly cook, they will take around 8-10 minutes.
  11. When cooked the top of the crumpet will be dry and pockmarked.
  12. At this point in time, you can flip them over and cook for no more than 60 seconds.

Notes

Adapted from Dan Leppard: Baking with Passion

The calorific value of this recipe does not include the butter you add after, that is all your fault 😀 😉

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 422mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 10g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Beth

Friday 14th of September 2018

So we don't have crumpets in the States. We have things that they call English Muffins that have a ton of nooks and crannies to hold butter too. Which is key IMHO! I must try your recipe to compare. The "English muffins" that I make do not have the baking soda, brown sugar or water. I am totally intrigued and have to make these!

Brian Jones

Saturday 15th of September 2018

English muffins are very different to crumpets, these are almost like drop scones... I don't think I have seen anything similar on the US based sites I peruse, they are very good :)

Ramona

Thursday 13th of September 2018

Great crumpet recipe Brian, those cuties are just throwing a beautifully blushed smile at me and the more I look at them the more I feel like grabbing them off my screen. I make crumpets too - my kids would have them every day ( I would too if I could ha ha). Delicious and great looking little cuties -you definitely inspired me to make some now - I did not have them in a while. Thanks for sharing yet another wonderful recipe with blissfully beautiful pics ;-)

Brian Jones

Friday 14th of September 2018

Thanks Ramona, I too am guilty of not making them often enough, they really are so very good :)

Loyola

Thursday 13th of September 2018

OMG I need this for breakfast.....tomorrow.....Thanks for sharing always great recipe.

Brian Jones

Friday 14th of September 2018

lol, enjoy!

Patty

Thursday 13th of September 2018

Oh yum! Watching your video I know I really must try to make your crumpets, I do need to increase my butter intake lol! I've started to make my bread a few months ago and I like to try different ones each time. Can't wait to try your crumpets!

Brian Jones

Friday 14th of September 2018

In many ways we all need to increase our butter intake, although waistlines often disagree ;)

Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale

Thursday 13th of September 2018

I have never had a crumpet, but I have always wanted to try one. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Now I can make some! I am sure I will love them.

Brian Jones

Friday 14th of September 2018

They are wonderful and a real indulgent treat!

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