English Crumpets

Tikidoc's Note:

My kids tasted crumpets on vacation but we can not get them locally. I tried several recipes I found on the web, and this is my modification of one I found on EuropeanCuisines.com. That one was quite salty, so I cut the salt in half. I also found the texture to be better with 100% bread flour rather than the blend of AP and bread flour that they recommend. Might be a result of differences in flour protein contents in different parts of the world. My next project will be to try to make a whole grain variation. If you try that and are successful, please post! I always weigh my flour, I use 460 grams.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 24.0 4

• 4 cups bread flour
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 2 ¼ cups water , warm
• 5 g sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2⁄3; cup milk , warm

Directions:

1. Mix first 5 ingredients for about 5 minutes, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
2. Add salt, mix again, rise again.
3. Mix in baking soda and milk.
4. Heat pan to medium low. Butter crumpet rings (can use any 3-4 inch rings such as empty tuna cans with top and bottom remover, or commercial egg rings) and pan. Pour in just enough batter to fill the bottom of the ring.
5. Cook until brown on bottom and just set on top. There should be bubbles all over the top. Remove rings.
6. Turn briefly to cook the other side.
7. To serve, toast and spread with butter or jam.