Craft hot, fresh crumpets for chilly mornings
The sun may be taking longer to rise each morning, but that doesn’t mean us working bees can. As the mornings cool down and bed becomes harder to leave, we’ve been inventing crafty new ways to coax ourselves out of the covers and into the cold. And what better incentive than a hot breakfast? Soft curls of butter and sweet honey oozing through the cavities of hot crumpets ought to do it. Toddle into the kitchen and make yourself a cuppa as you flip some fresh crumpets for breakfast on a chilly Brisbane morning.
INGREDIENTS
300 ml whole milk
300 ml water
450 g plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
pinch of bicarb soda
butter, for cooking
condiments, to serve
TO MAKE
Pour the milk and water into separate pans, then warm gently over a stove, being careful not to boil.
In a separate, dry bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the sugar and yeast, and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the milk and water. Stir to create a thick, smooth batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, dry place for one to two hours until the mixture is foaming.
Stir well to remove any excess air, then add the bicarb soda and stir again. Cover and let stand for a further 30 minutes.
Use a pastry brush to grease a few pastry cutters or egg or crumpet rings with butter. Drop a few extra dollops of butter in a heavy-based frying pan and heat until melted.
Place the greased rings on the warm pan and pour the crumpet batter into the rings until they’re each about half full. Cook for approximately six to eight minutes, until the crumpets form small holes in the top.
Carefully push the crumpets out of the rings with a spoon and oven mitts, and set the rings aside. Flip the crumpets over in the pan to lightly brown the tops. Cook for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool slightly and cook additional crumpets until you’ve used up all the batter.
Arrange the still-warm crumpets in a neat stack and serve alongside a range of condiments, such as butter, strawberry jam, local honey or a fresh fruit compote.
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