Dripping with butter and jam, crumpets were the sort of teatime treat we Brits all grew up with and loved. Making individual crumpets can be a hassle, so it’s much more fun to make a giant one to share. Topped with a quick homemade strawberry jam and a dollop of crème fraîche, the crumpet truly is worth rediscovering.
SERVES: 2–4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ cups white bread flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- ½ cup milk mixed with ⅔ cup water, warmed to 105–115°F
- Neutral oil
- Butter
- Crème fraîche, to serve
FOR THE QUICK STRAWBERRY JAM:
- 2 heaping Tbsp sugar
- 1½ cups strawberries, hulled and sliced in half
- Zest of 1 lemon and juice of ¼
- ½ –1 tsp balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- MAKE THE CRUMPET BATTER:
- Sift the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda into a bowl.
- Make a well in the middle, add the yeast, and slowly pour in the warm milk and water mixture.
- Draw the flour into the center, mixing thoroughly, and beat to a thick batter. (You may need to add up to another ½ cup warm water if the mixture is very thick.)
- Whisk for a couple of minutes until smooth.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it has almost doubled in size and has a spongy consistency.
- MAKE THE QUICK STRAWBERRY JAM:
- Heat the sugar in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until caramelized and golden.
- Turn the heat down and add the strawberries, coating them in the caramel.
- Cook for about 10 minutes until the strawberries are tender and collapsing slightly and the sauce is nice and syrupy.
- Add the lemon zest and juice followed by a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
- Continue to heat for 5–7 minutes until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of jam.
- Leave to cool.
- COOK THE CRUMPETS:
- Heat a very large nonstick frying pan (or use 2 medium pans) over medium heat and add a little oil.
- Stir the batter and pour into the pan.
- Cook for 10–15 minutes on low heat to prevent burning until the batter is dry and the surface is set with little holes.
- Dot a few little pieces of butter around the outside edge of the crumpet, and when it has melted, flip the crumpet over and cook on the other side for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
- SERVE:
- Serve the crumpet with the quick strawberry jam and crème fraîche.
HOW TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL CRUMPETS:
- If you want to make several small crumpets, drop individual spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and reduce the cooking time to 7–10 minutes before flipping over.
- You might want to use a greased metal ring or cookie cutter to help hold the mixture and prevent the crumpets from coming out too thin
