- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 250 g
- 300 ml
- 100 ml
- 7 g
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 30 g
- 1 tbsp
Process
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Warm the whole milk and water together until lukewarm, about 38°C - it should feel barely warm on your wrist, not hot, or it will kill the instant yeast.
Whisk the strong white bread flour, instant yeast, caster sugar and fine salt in a large bowl. Pour in the warm milk and water and beat with a wooden spoon or balloon whisk for 2 minutes until you have a thick, smooth, sticky batter.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave at room temperature for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the batter is visibly bubbly, risen and smells yeasty.
Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tbsp of warm water, then whisk it into the risen batter. It will loosen slightly and foam - this is what creates the open holes.
Cover and rest the batter for a further 20 minutes while you prepare the pan.
Set a heavy frying pan or flat griddle over medium-low heat and brush it lightly with some of the melted unsalted butter. Brush the insides of 3 to 4 metal crumpet rings (about 9 cm wide and 2.5 cm deep) with melted butter or vegetable oil and place them in the pan to heat for 1 minute.
Pour or ladle batter into each ring to about two-thirds full, roughly 60 ml per ring. Do not fill to the top or the batter will overflow as it rises.
Cook undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes. The batter will rise, then bubbles will break across the surface and the tops will set from glossy to matte. If the bases brown too fast, lower the heat.
When the tops are set and full of holes with no wet batter, run a thin knife or small spatula around the inside of each ring and lift the ring off. Flip each crumpet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the top is pale gold and dry. Do not brown the holey side deeply.
Move the cooked crumpets to a wire rack - not a plate, which steams them soft. Wipe the pan, re-butter the rings and repeat with the remaining batter.
Toast the crumpets in a toaster or under a medium grill until the holey side is crisp and golden, then serve hot with butter.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is a cold or too-hot pan: medium-low is correct. If the crumpets brown underneath before the tops set, the heat is too high and the inside will stay raw.
- Do not skip the baking soda added after the first rise. Without it the batter is too tight and you get flat, bready discs instead of the signature honeycomb holes.
- The doneness marker is visual: the surface goes from shiny wet batter to a matte, pitted top with no liquid batter in the holes. Only then should you flip.
- Rest the batter after adding the soda for at least 20 minutes; pouring it straight away gives uneven, small bubbles.
- Metal rings must be well greased and hot before the batter goes in, otherwise the crumpets stick and tear when you release them.
Substitutions
- whole milk→unsweetened oat milk or soy milk for a dairy-free version
- strong white bread flour→plain white flour, though the crumb will be slightly softer and less tall
- instant yeast→active dry yeast, activated in the warm milk for 10 minutes first
- unsalted butter→vegetable oil for greasing if making them dairy-free
Storage & reheating
Cool the crumpets completely on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, layer with baking paper and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature for 1 hour. Reheat in a toaster or under a medium grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the holey side is crisp - never microwave them, as they turn rubbery.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my crumpets turn out flat with no holes?
The usual causes are batter that was too thick, an inactive or expired yeast, or forgetting the baking soda. The batter should be thick but pourable, like double cream, and the first rise must be visibly bubbly before you add the soda. Also make sure the pan is only medium-low; a screaming hot pan sets the base before bubbles can form.
Why are my crumpets raw and doughy in the middle?
The heat was too high, so the bottoms browned before the batter had time to set through. Cook them at medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes and check that the tops are fully matte and pitted before flipping. If the base is already dark but the top is wet, move the pan to a lower heat and cover loosely with a lid for 2 minutes.
Can I make crumpet batter the night before?
Yes, and it improves the flavour. Make the batter up to the end of step 3, cover and refrigerate overnight for up to 12 hours. In the morning, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then whisk in the baking soda and water and rest 20 minutes before cooking.
Do I really need crumpet rings?
Rings give the straight-sided, tall shape and stop the batter spreading, so the bubbles rise instead of escaping sideways. If you do not have metal rings, use well-greased tuna cans with both ends removed, or cook free-form small pancakes - they will taste the same but be flatter and wider.
Can I use gluten-free flour for crumpets?
A plain gluten-free flour blend works but the batter needs adjusting: use 250 g blend plus 1 tsp psyllium husk and add 2 tbsp extra milk, since gluten-free flour absorbs more liquid. The rise will be smaller and the holes less pronounced, but the method stays the same.
How do I know when a crumpet is cooked enough to flip?
Look at the surface: it should change from shiny wet batter to a dry, matte, pitted top with open holes and no liquid pooling in them. The edges will also pull slightly away from the ring. If any part still looks wet and glossy, give it another minute before flipping.
Why do my crumpets stick to the rings?
The rings were not greased or not hot enough when the batter went in. Brush the inside of each ring generously with melted butter or oil and let them heat in the pan for a full minute before pouring. If they still stick, run a thin knife around the inside edge before lifting the ring.
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