I’ve just been in Wellington and have come home so inspired by the places I ate. I’ve gone mad on crumpets! I visited a cafe on all the days called Glou Glou who make their own crumpets! They can be made at home and topped with more than just golden syrup or honey.

Makes 6

Ingredients

50mls milk 

150mls warm water 

1 heaped tsp instant yeast 

1 tsp sugar 

150g high grade flour 

½ tsp baking powder 

½ tsp salt 

Method

Warm the milk to just a bit hotter than tepid. Add in water and then dissolve the yeast and sugar. Cover with a tea towel and leave until a froth forms – about 10-15 minutes. 

In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Make a well in the centre, pour in the yeast mixture and whisk gently for a few minutes until you have the consistency of double cream. You may need to add a little more water if it’s too thick. 

Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic bag (or a shower cap if you have one!) and set aside for 45 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. 

To cook: 

Grease 9-10cm metal rings (see note) with oil. Grease a large pan and heat to medium-high. 

Arrange the rings in the frying pan spoon 4 tablespoons of the batter into each ring. Cook until bubbles form – 30 seconds -1 minutes – then turn the heat to low until bubbles break on the surface, like when making pikelets. This can take 5-7 minutes. Carefully lift off the rings and flip the crumpets, cooking for a further 30 seconds. Re-grease the rings between batches. 

Serve the crumpets warm, with a slather of butter and your choice of toppings: ham, chutney & cheese, crème fraiche dill & smoked salmon, mascarpone & strawberries etc. 

Notes & tips:

The barrier to making crumpets at home is often not having metal rings. I use the little spring form tins available at supermarkets. Grease them well even though they’re non-stick.

Beating the batter helps to stimulate the gluten which lends itself to the vertical tunnels forming in the crumpet.

If you truly want the texture of store-bought crumpets it’s best to leave them for a day or 2 then toast to serve – that rubbery texture is for once what we’re aiming for!

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