British Crumpets

I think I have somewhat mastered the ability to make proper crumpets, thanks to Bo Friberg’s Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry book (sometimes referred to as the pastry bible) and tips from my very own Englishman about getting them cooked perfectly.

Making good crumpets requires a bit of patience, but not as much patience as making cinnamon rolls or bagels (which is why I’m not posting about making these things).   Everything is measured on a kitchen scale (do yourself a favor.. have a digital scale).   The eggs have to be at room temperature (there’s a cheat for this, involving a bowl of room temperature water).   The flour is an equal mix of cake and bread flour.   The milk has to be 105F to 115F to properly dissolve the yeast.   The yeast should not be rapid rise (although it’s all I have at the moment, so I do use it).  You have to have a decent flat pan (unlike our poor T-fal which doesn’t seem to prefer electric stoves, or the cast iron skillet which heats up much too quickly for my taste).    You have to brush the pan with clarified butter (it’s better than pouring it in.. trust me).   And you have to wait until just the right time to flip the crumpet over (once the holes have formed on the top).

You have to love eating crumpets, or know people who do (which I do!), because the recipe makes quite a few of them.

If you love to bake, want to try something new, or make something according to the way a pastry chef would, I highly recommend the book.     I’m going to find something new for the weekend, I think.