Crumpets

By cookism

Getting sick of eating pancakes and french toast for breakfast everyday? Why not give crumpets a try! These light and fluffy little cakes will definitely make your day brighter, fuller and happier. Pair them with the classic crumpet combination of honey and butter for a heavenly result. Alternatively, you can spread it with your favorite jam or Nutella for a total different gustatory experience. I know some of you may say, 'whats the fuss? I can just get a packet of ready-made ones from the supermarket'. But homemade crumpets simply cannot be compared with the ready-made ones! Let's start!

Ingredients

• Serve with:
• 500 g of Plain Flour
• 800 ml of Milk
• 40 g of Butter
• 2 tsp of Caster Sugar
• 2 tsp of Active Dry Yeast
• A Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 50 ml of Water
• Sunflower Oil
• Honey
• Butter
• Whipped Cream

Details

Servings 24
Adapted from cookism.tumblr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Melt the butter in a microwave oven. This will take less than 30 seconds depending on your oven. Measure and place 200ml of milk into a medium bowl. Add in melted butter. Mix well and heat the milk-butter mixture in the microwave oven till tepid. The mixture must only be slightly warm, not scalding to prevent killing the yeast. Next, add in sugar and yeast. Stir well to dissolve. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place it in a warm place for 5 minutes till mixture turns frothy.
2. In the meantime, sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Use your fingers to make a large well in the middle. Pour yeast mixture into the well, stir to incorporate a little flour. Add in the remaining milk (600ml) into the well. Using a whisk, slowly stir the mixture in a circular motion, incorporating the flour little by little till combined. Batter should be smooth, thick and runny. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at a warm place for 1 hour till it doubles in size.
3. Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in 50ml of tepid water. Distribute the mixture into the batter. Gently mix the batter using a whisk. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again. Leave it to stand for another 30 to 45 minutes. The batter should be spongy and light.
4. When the batter is ready, heat a pan with low heat and grease it with a paper towel dipped with oil. Prepare 2 or preferably 4 metal palm-sized rings (about 8cm wide, 2 to 2.5cm thick) or crumpet molds and brush the insides with oil. Place the rings on the pan. Spoon equal amount of batter into each ring, ensuring it is evenly spread out and filling halfway up the sides. Allow the batter to cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it bubbles, forming small holes and the top surface is set. Remove the rings using tongs and flip the crumpet with a spatula. Allow it to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned.
5. Serve crumpets with honey, whipped cream and butter.