Crumpets for breakfast,
Crumpets for tea
Just about anytime - that would do me !
Quintessentially English, homemade crumpets are a light year away from the factory produced ones that you can buy in supermarkets. They're a yeasted bread product with a soft texture which looks like honeycomb which begs to be slathered in butter and jam / honey.
The holes are important and it took me a few attempts to get them just right. I've learnt a lot along the way. I'd never buy shop bought crumpets now as they are so easy to make and not in the slightest rubbery.
To make them, you will need crumpet rings. I did invest in a set - but had a horrendous time trying to get them out the rings - and that resulted in a couple of nasty burns. Eventually, I found some very large silicone egg rings that did the job. Maybe need to consider making our own rings specifically for crumpets !
If you don't have rings, you can make them free-form without. They'll just be thinner and tend to be known as pikelets.
RECIPE
450g strong white bread flour
7g (1 sachet) bread maker yeast
tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
300ml milk
300ml water
300ml water
1.1/2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into 75ml water and 75ml milk (150ml total)
Warm the first lot of milk and water to around body temperature (lukewarm). Add to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. It's a sloppy goo - and does not resemble bread dough. I do this with a hand held electric whisk for a very short amount of time to make sure I get all the lumps out quickly.
Cover and leave in a warm place for about an hour until risen and bubbly.
Mix in the rest of the liquid and bicarbonate of soda. Leave for another 10 mins and then transfer into a pouring jug.
Pour to (approx 1/2 fill) well greased rings (preferably silicone if you don't want a nightmare getting them out) until the tops become set and then turn over .
Serve warm with butter and honey or jam - or allow to cool and toast later.
