Crumpets and English Muffins

Crumpets and English Muffins

Crumpets and English Muffins are not the same…..at least not in England.  In America, the Thomas commercial version of what the English call ‘crumpets,’ are marketed as English Muffins.

Today, let’s make some English style crumpets.  But before we haul out the flour and read the fine print and warn your significant other that you’re about to mess up the kitchen, let’s chat a bit about the concept of crumpets.

Sound a bit sexist when I talk about messing up the kitchen?  You pictured a man in the kitchen and a wife getting upset, right?  I have to admit that’s not far off the mark, BUT, I do know fastidious men who apparently share DNA with Mr. Monk and Mr. Clean.

Years ago, I stayed with friends, man and wife.  The husband instructed me not to make up the bed in the guest room because only his wife could do it properly.  He also went through a four-step process for leaving the guest bathroom exactly as I found it, especially after a shower.  There was also a proper place to put my empty suitcase and my shaving kit.

They wanted me to cook for them, which I did and enjoyed watching the two of them scurry around the kitchen as though it were a surgery, collecting and washing my utensils before they hit the counter.

Bottom line:  Keeping a Kitchen clean ain’t sexist!  So back off and relax, woman! 

A Very Short History of the Crumpet

Fried bread.  Evolved from campfire baking across Europe.  Some say the Irish started it, and back it up with Celtic words that sound similar.  Some say every other country in Europe started it.  16^th Century. 17^th Century.  Anglo Saxons also make a claim.

Victorian England played a hand in taking crumpets from the servants’ kitchens to the lords’ and ladies’ breakfast rooms.

But, nobody I’ve read had sources to support definitive answers. I do know, Samuel Bath Thomas, an English immigrant to New York, created the ‘English Muffin ‘ as we know it, in 1874, dropping the traditional step of adding baking soda.

I know my faithful A.D.D. readers have had enough and are braying and stomping hooves to gather ingredients.  I warn you right off the bat that the whole process takes a couple of hours, including the rising of the dough.   Not a problem.  You don’t have to stand there and watch the dough double in size!  Use you head, man!  Go finish reading War and Peace!  Learn a language!  Polish the silverware!

Crumpets

(the traditional English Way, with both yeast  and baking soda)

1 Cup of slightly warmed whole milk

1 Teaspoon of sugar

1 packet of active dry yeast, which is normally about a tablespoon

1 ½ Cups all purpose flour (I’ve not tried using Gluten Free)

1 Teaspoon rough salt

1/3 Cup water

½ Teaspoon baking soda.

Hardware:  Mixer/beater, large skillet, egg or crumpet molds.

First:  get the yeast going in a bowl:  Milk, yeast, sugar. Cover.  Yeast will bubble in about 5-10 minutes.

Toss:  flour and salt in with the milk/yeast and beat for several minutes.  How long?  Until the batter is smooth and stretches when you pull up the beater.  Yes, this is thick batter!  

Cover: let it rise until doubled, about an hour.  There will be bubbles on top.

Note:  I get good results, putting the bowl of dough in a cool oven, closing the oven door and punching on the oven light.

In a small container:  stir together the water and baking soda.  Add this mixture to the batter, thoroughly beat, and then cover for half an hour.

Grease and heat a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat.  If you have molds (egg molds will do nicely), grease them and put them in the skillet.  Fill the molds with batter, about half to three quarters up the sides.  If you have the heat set correctly, the crumpets should cook for about 7 to 9 minutes.  When bubbles form and pop on the tops of the crumpets, remove the molds and turn the crumpets over to cook for another minute or so.

Note:  Don’t let a lack of molds stop you.  I made some without molds and they were equally delicious, just not as thick.

Note:  To make the American version, check out some other recipes, but essentially leave out the water and baking soda step.

A very short story:  While my companion and I were staying at an Inn/Pub in South Hampton, I ordered English Muffins with my eggs and was surprised that they were thicker, without the chewiness or pockets of holes on the inside.  “Oh,” said the server, “You ordered English Muffins and you probably wanted crumpets.”

Damn, I wish the English would speak A-merikin!

Even better, buttered and toasted, with a side of jam!