Crumpets

Who among you has heard of tea and crumpets?  I have often heard the reference but actually had no idea what a crumpet looked like or tasted like.  On the other hand, I am very familiar with English Muffins and love them toasted and oozing with butter!

A friend of mine at work was going on about how good crumpets were not long ago.  She told me that if I liked English Muffins, I'd like Crumpets.  So the following weekend I found some in the refrigerated case at my local supermarket.

Once home, I toasted one up, slathered on the butter and became an instant convert!  I love these so much more than English Muffins.

Yesterday she and I visited a local kitchen store so I could purchase some rings so I could make crumpets.  I didn't hesitate to get started and mixed up the recipe this morning late.  What a wonderful project for a nice snowy morning.

I looked online for recipes and used the one by Bobby Flay on thecookingchannel.com.  After reading the recipe through a couple of times, I ended up altering the directions just a little.  You can find the original recipe on The Cooking Channel website or follow my instructions (which I think are easier and still produce desired results.

Crumpets

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups milk

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

2 tablespoons, unsalted butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, yeast, baking powder and sea salt.  Stir to combine.

I have this really cool crockery bowl that was my grandma's that I used.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, honey and butter and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm.  You do not want it to hot or it will kill the yeast.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Pour the warm liquid mixture into it.

Using your electric mixer on low speed, combine the ingredients, increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth, scraping the sides to combine all the flour.  This step will take about 2 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 60 minutes.

I have a warming drawer in my stove that will proof bread.  Since the stove is new and I haven't had an opportunity to try this feature, not to mention it is really cold and snowy out and the kitchen just doesn't lend itself to being warm enough to get a good rise of bread dough.  My mixing bowl didn't fit in the drawer, so I shifted the dough to one of my other pans, covered it with plastic and set the timer for 60 minutes.

After 35 minutes or so I checked it and everything was going fine.  At 50 minutes I checked again and

it had risen....and oozed out of the pot and all over my warming drawer!

Once your dough has risen and bubbly, it's time to start cooking the crumpets.
You will need crumpet or English muffin rings that you can find at your local kitchen shop.  If you can't find them, you can use washed out tuna cans with both ends cut out.

I have a large cast iron enamel pan that I used.  I first lightly greased it and placed it on the stove over medium heat.  I also greased the insides of four rings and placed those in the pan to preheat for about 5 minutes.

Once heated, add 1/4 cup batter to each ring.  My rings are a little large so I used a little more than 1/4 cup.  My pan had a nice domed lid, so I put on the lid and checked them in about 3 minutes.

You will see bubbles forming on the tops and they will begin to dry out.  You can tell when the edges are drying and then you remove the rings.  Big Warning!!!!  Those rings are hot!!!  Yes, that is the voice of experience.  I know better, but my instinct kicked in and I grabbed the edges to remove the first one.  Take my advice and use tongs for this task and save your fingers!

Flip the crumpets and cook the opposite side until golden another 3-5 minutes.  

Remove them to a rack to cool.

Split them and toast them if  you like, slather them with butter and your favorite jam.

Oh my, these are good! Excuse me while I polish these off!

....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!