Title: English Crumpets (Bakestone Recipes)
Categories: Bread Breakfast
Yield: 4 Servings
| 4 | oz | All-purpose flour |
| 4 | oz | Bread flour |
| 2 | ts | Salt |
| 1/4 | oz | Fresh yeast |
| 1 | ts | Sugar |
| 1/2 | pt | Warm milk and water |
| 1 | tb | Vegetable oil |
| 1/2 | ts | Bicarbonate of soda |
| 1/4 | pt | Warm water |
Sift the flours and salt into a warm bowl. Cream the yeast with the sugar.
Add the warmed milk and water, then the oil. Stir into the flour to make a
batter, and beat vigorously until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl, put
in a warm place and leave it until the mixture rises and the surface is
full of bubbles (about 1 1/2 hours). Break it down by beating with a
wooden spoon. Cover and leave in a warm place to prove for another 30
minutes. -- To cook the crumpets, heat and grease the bakestone lightly.
Grease 5 or 6 crumpet rings (3-3 1/2 inches) (or scone cutters) and put
them on the bakestone to heat. Cook as many crumpets as possible at a time,
as the batter will not stay bubbly for long. -- Put 1/2 inch deep of batter
into each ring. Cook gently for 7 - 10 minutes, or until the surface sets
and is full of tiny bubbles. Using an oven glove for protection, lift off
the ring, and if the base of the crumpet is pale gold, flip it over and
cook for another 3 minutes until the other side is just colored. If the
crumpet batter is set but sticks slightly in the ring, push it out gently
with the back of a wooden spoon. Wipe, grease and heat the rings for each
batch of crumpets. If serving immediately, wrap the crumpets in a cloth
and keep warm between batches. Butter generously and serve at once. If
reheating, toast the crumpets under the grill, cooking the smooth surface
first and then the top so that the butter will melt into the holes.