Proper Old Fashioned Homemade Crumpets
Homemade crumpets are a wonderful breakfast, brunch, or supper treat and the finest way to increase your butter intake!
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 Kyiv recipe will know how I love butter!
Depending on 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.
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 not to 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 a chance to form.
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 grill/broiler or into a toaster.
If you are using a grill/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!
Homemade Crumpets Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 g Plain Flour 3⅓ Cups
- 1 teaspoon Soft Brown Sugar
- 7 g Dried Yeast
- 350 ml Milk 1½ Cups
- 350 ml Fizzy bottled water 1½ Cups
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
- Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Sift the yeast and flour into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and mix together.
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches 20°C or 68°F. Add it to the flour mix with the water and beat until it reaches a smooth mix.Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm room for 2 hours.
- Whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a heat just below medium. Add a little oil into the pan and then pour in 1.5cm (just over ½") of the mix into 10cm (4") baking rings.Allow the crumpets to slowly cook; they will take around 8-10 minutes.
- At this point in time, you can flip them over and cook for no more than 60 seconds.
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!
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 😉
OMG I need this for breakfast.....tomorrow.....Thanks for sharing always great recipe.
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!
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.
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!
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 🙂
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 😉
Thanks Ramona, I too am guilty of not making them often enough, they really are so very good 🙂
OMG I need this for breakfast.....tomorrow.....Thanks for sharing always great recipe.
lol, enjoy!
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!
In many ways we all need to increase our butter intake, although waistlines often disagree 😉
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.
They are wonderful and a real indulgent treat!
I miss crumpets, had them often as a student in England. I don't like the ones I had here!
We can't get them out here at all so learning how to make them was a must, but they are glorious 🙂
These look awesome man! A perfect Xmas morning recipe too.
I'll be going for a full English Breakfast on the big day, but will certainly be rocking these on Boxing day 😀
You're so British. 😉
That is the first time anyone has ever said that 😉
I'm eating a toasted bagel with cream cheese and it suddenly tastes bland - I'm picturing a pool of melted butter on my plate from the butter I smeared on a warm crumpet. So much for that 2 bucks I spent on the bagel!
Bagels are good but crumpets are better 🙂
I love crumpets, but good ones are so hard to come by most places I've lived in the States. I really want to abandon my "to do" list and make these right now! Good thing I don't have fizzy water haha. But seriously, maybe next weekend for breakfast. And I do agree with you, there's nothing better than good bread with butter. Good butter. Nothing else required!
Melted butter and something soft but crispy and warm what else is needed... Have fun 😀
Updating my comment to add that I have made these, they are delicious, and I have my second batch finishing up right now. The first time I followed as written, and the second I split the flour between white and whole wheat (I didn't feel like opening another package of white), and they also turned out beautifully. I also proceeded to drink the remaining fizzy water so I can make other breads next week. 😉
Oooo excellent, so glad you like them... I've not tried messing around with different flours, I think as an ingredient flour 'scares' me more than any other, I like food I can taste and test as I go with things like this it is all magic and subterfuge and you just have to trust 😮
Oh, how I love a fresh crumpet! Or should I say, KRUMPet. (had to.)
I see what you did there 😉
I've never had a crumpet. One look at yours makes me want to abandon my English muffins, for sure, and try one!
Noooo don't abandon the might English Muffin, they are perfect for Eggs Benedict, just add something new... Incidentally do you have an English Muffin Recipe, I have failed miserably at making them... Rookie Baker 😉
I like to make Benedict with a hearty, rustic bread rather than an English muffin, mainly because I tend to bake bread pretty commonly. I've never made English muffins - but I've wanted to. I know that they can be made in a cast-iron pan, and I'm on a cast-iron kick ... so if I come across something I like, I'll definitely let you know.
Cheers, I don't eat a lot of bread to be honest and bake it even less, I find muffins freeze really well so can always have some in stock... Shame I have not come across a reliable recipe though.
I've been looking for a Christmas Break project, and English muffins may be it. I've done a bit of research, and have discovered far more diversity than consensus with regard to how to make them. I'm very curious to give it a shot.
I have tried a couple of times and never been happy but I am really not a baker just not practiced enough to pull it off.
Haha Love the visual of butter running down elbows! I've never had homemade crumpets, but you're making me want to try them!!
Messy food has a special place in my heart... Reminds me of childhood and not worrying about the mess 😉
This made me smile when I saw these crumpets, my Mom use to make it for us all the time as kids, especially during the winter months 🙂
Good childhood memories are always the best... Especially when they involve food for me 😉
You need to tone down your photography, buddy.. I am getting all JEALOUS with such beautiful shots.. The crumpets look just so perfectly delicious. Wish we lived closer.. I would have taken full advantage of your photography skills as well as such amazing food..
Haha, thank you Fareeha... Long time no chat, I hope you are well, sorry bout the pics I will smear some lard on my lens for my next shots 😉
I've always wondered what a crumpet was! And they look delicious -- are they similar to what we call English muffins here in the US? And the whole butter running down the arm thing? Totally yummers :):)
I believe they did make the trip across the Atlantic but not sure how popular they are. The ingredients are similar to an English Muffin, but the textures and processes are very different, a muffin will typically be made from a dough that needs 'kneading' where as a crumpet is made from a batter and the cooking process forms large holes to sneak in extra melted butter 😉