How to Make Crumpets

This little recipe is just further proof that you don’t need many ingredients to make something with a lot of flavor. Crumpets are a good vehicle for jam, go well

with a farm fresh egg, or will make your friends smile when you show up for a road trip with a basket of them. Plan your morning, though, the dough must sit for an hour before cooking.

Makes 1 dozen.
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 tbls. butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbls. honey

Prepare the batter.

1. Mix the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl.
2. Melt your butter and add it to the warm water. Add the honey to this mixture and stir around.
3. Add the wet to the dry and stir with a rubber spatula. (It will be sticky!) Stir vigorously for a few minutes.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and a dry towel. Let sit undisturbed for an hour.

   

   Your batter will be sticky and slightly elastic.

It’s time to cook.

1. A few minutes before your batter will be done, begin to heat your pan. (You can use a griddle, too, if you have one. I use a flat skillet.) Heat it over just a little bit more than low heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Prepare your rings. Non-stick biscuit rings make the job easy, but you can also successfully improvise with the rings from large mason jars. If you’re using jar lids, wipe a little butter on the inside with your finger, before you drop them in the pan. Use as many rings as will comfortably fit in your pan (probably 4.)

   

   Cooking crumpets take a little bit of butter and patience.

3. When your pan is ready, melt a little butter in it and then place the rings. Beat the batter, once or twice to deflate it. Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter and drop in the ring. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter out to the edges of the ring. (They will rise higher.)
4. Cake for about 15 minutes. Rings can be removed about halfway through the cooking time, if you like. Flip to the uncooked side briefly (about 1 minute.) Remove to rack to cool.

Notes:

• I usually am a believer in doing what you can to make a recipe work, but if you are someone who likes to follow strict rules, you should probably know that many recipes claim that crumpets are not traditionally flipped. I’ve tried many different temperatures and techniques and can’t figure out how this could be realistic. I accosted a lady making crumpets at the Bremerton farmers’ market and she said that she flips hers. There’s a professional opinion for you.
• Best eaten on the day that they are made, but they can be frozen with success.
• Got a crumpet craving, but no desire to make them? Stop in the crumpet shop at Pike Place Market.
• Adapted from How to Bake.