The first crumpets I made were from The Great Canadian Bread Book, by
Janice Murray Gill
1/2 tbsp. dried yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup warm milk
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. veg. oil
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup pastry flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
Proof the yeast with the sugar in the lukewarm water. Combine the warm
milk (do not scald the milk for crumpets) and the warm water, add the oil
and the proofed yeast. Mix the salt and the flour in a warm bowl and stir
in the liquids. Beat very well by hand or, better, with electric
mixer. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until the mixture has risen
and is very bubbly. Dissolve the baking soda in a little warm water, about
1/4 cup, and stir down into the batter. Cover and leave it in a very warm,
90 F. place for about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat a heavy cast-iron or
aluminum griddle, keeping the temp. low. Grease the insides of crumpet
rings. (I use 4 in. crumpet rings, about an inch deep, or a comparable
cookie cutter.) Pour the batter half way up the rings, and cook until
bubbles appear and the tops are dry. (I usually poke the bubbles with a
wooden skewer to help the holes form.) Be patient, this takes about 10
minutes. Turn the crumpets over, slip off the rings, and bake 2 or 3
minutes, until just pale brown.
I prefer crumpets toasted, but Ms. Gill agrees with Elizabeth David who
just keeps them warm and then slathers them with butter.
Hope you like them. E. David's recipe, which I'll send later, is very similar.
Paddy Lanthier.