10.1 More Breads

10.1.1 Crumpets

When was a child, my mother would make a simple delicacy which she called “crumpets” - split English muffins, topped with a slice of American cheese and two small pieces of bacon, and broiled until the cheese melted and the bacon curled. I haven’t prepared them in decades and don’t intend to now. However, I recently ran across this recipe for the real thing on the Splendid Table web site. I’m going to give it a try - first as described and then using sourdough. First the original recipe:

Ingredients

100 gm bread flour
65 gm warm water
70 gm whole milk
1/2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cold water
vegetable oil for greasing.

  1. Combine all except the last three ingredients and whisk together to make a smooth batter. Let batter stand in a warm place until very bubbly, about 1 hour.
  2. When the batter is ready, combine the baking powder with the water and mix into the batter.
  3. Lightly grease a frying pan and some 4 inch crumpet rings (if you don’t have these, you can cook these like pancakes, making what the British call “pikelets”).
  4. Place the rings on the frying pan over medium heat. Divide the batter among them.
  5. Cook until surface bubbles hold their shape and the batter begins to dry out and lose its shine.
  6. Flip them over and cook for another minute or so, until browned.
  7. Serve with butter, honey or jam (or use them like my mother did).

10.1.1.1 Substituting sourdough

I’m thinking that the above recipe could be modified to use sourdough starter in place of dry yeast and letting the batter stand overnight in a warm place. I imagine the fresher the starter the better - perhaps use the leftover after another bread baking project. Perhaps try a 25:25 gm (flour to water) starter, and reducing the water and flour to 75 gm and 40 gm water).