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re: Crumpet question

adam.newey@guardian.co.uk
Mon, 17 Jan 2005 11:12:40 +0000
v105.n003.10
"hghaynes" <hghaynes@comcast.net> wrote:
>Today I made the crumpets from RLB's Bread Bible.  I got lots of bubbles 
>after I added the baking soda but the dough was quite, quite sticky and 
>didn't pour into the rings.  I didn't get little bubbles when they 
>fried.  What did I do wrong?  I followed the recipe to the letter and they 
>taste good.

Hello Holly,
I'm pretty sure the problem is that your batter is too thick. The 
consistency should be a little thicker than double cream, ie easily 
pourable but not so thin that it seeps out from under the crumpet rings. 
Assuming that the pan is hot enough (it should be really hot!) the bottom 
will fry pretty quickly and prevent the batter from leaking. After six or 
seven minutes you should start to see those little bubbles on the top 
solidifying into little holes. So I'd suggest experimenting by adding a 
little bit more liquid. I guess the flour you're using could have some 
impact here too: I use a mixture of half strong bread flour and half plain 
soft (ie cake-making) flour.

Hope this helps.
best wishes,
Adam