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The Spruce
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
87 | Calories |
3g | Fat |
13g | Carbs |
2g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 24 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 87 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 3g | 4% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 4% |
Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
Sodium 294mg | 13% |
Total Carbohydrate 13g | 5% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
Protein 2g | |
Calcium 66mg | 5% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Crumpets are the quintessential afternoon tea treat, especially when served warm with lots of butter. It's the extra yeast in the batter that creates the soft texture and delicate holes on top, perfect for soaking up jam and butter.
Crumpets are popular in the U.K. and make frequent appearances at British teatime. There are many ready-made brands of crumpets available, but it's easy and so much fun to make your own. Just be sure to plan ahead as the crumpet batter needs an hour or two to rise.
Don't give up if your first couple of crumpets don't turn out perfectly—it takes practice. It only takes making one or two crumpets until you get the hang of it. This recipe yields 24 crumpets, but if that is too many, the recipe can easily be halved.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water (lukewarm)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- For serving: butter and jam
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Warm the milk in a saucepan. Make sure that it is warm but not boiling. Otherwise, it will kill the yeast.
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Skim any film off of the top.
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Whisk together the warmed milk, flour, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.
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Once combined, add half the water and beat into the batter.
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Continue to add more water until the batter is thick and smooth. Stop adding water once it reaches the consistency of thick cream.
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Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size and foaming. This should take about 1 hour but can take up to 2 hours (keep an eye on it).
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Whisk the salt and baking powder into the batter.
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Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium to medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
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Moisten a paper towel with a little oil and carefully grease the base of the pan and crumpet (or pastry) rings measuring approximately 3 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches tall.
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Place 1 ring on the heated pan and pour in enough batter to fill just below the top of the ring.
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Cook for 5 minutes, until there are many tiny holes on the surface and the crumpet is setting around the edges.
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Flip the crumpet over (in the ring) and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
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Adjust the temperature as needed. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan in between each batch.
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Rest the crumpets on a wire rack until cool.
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To reheat, place crumpets in a toaster or under the broiler before serving.
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Serve with lots of butter and jam.
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Tips
- We recommend cooking one crumpet at a time for the first one or two rounds to let you tweak the temperature and the mixture.
- If the crumpet batter seeps out from under the ring into the pan, it means the batter is too thin. Whisk in more flour to thicken, adding a small amount at a time.
- If a cooked crumpet is heavy and without holes, the batter is too thick; slowly add more water until a better consistency develops.
- If you don't have any pastry or crumpet rings, you can use a similar-sized, clean food can—just be careful with any sharp edges.
Crumpets vs. English Muffins
While crumpets and English muffins are similar in size and cooked on the stovetop, there are some key differences between the two breakfast and teatime classics. Crumpets have an extremely airy dough with lots of distinctive bubbles throughout and visible on top. English muffins, while also airy, are solid on both sides and are made to be split open and topped with butter or jam.
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