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Crumpets
1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons melted shortening 2 cups scalded milk 1/2 cake yeast 3 cups flour Put in mixing bowl sugar, salt and shortening; add scalded milk. When lukewarm add the yeast cake. When yeast is thoroughly dissolved add the flour slowly, beating constantly. Let the sponge stand in a warm place from 2 to 4 hours-or until light. Bake in greased muffin rings on a hot griddle, or in a patty pan in the oven. In either case fill pans only one-half full.
A yeast-raised batter rather than a dough, poured into rings and cooked on a griddle. The whole character of the thing depends on the batter being loose enough to level itself in the ring and set with open holes.
- Half a yeast cakeCompressed yeast was sold in cakes of varying size, commonly a small cake of about 0.6 oz, so half a cake is on the order of 1 teaspoon of active dry or instant yeast. Dissolve it only once the milk has cooled to lukewarm, about 105-110F; scalded milk straight off the stove will kill it.
- Why scald at allScalding was standard practice when milk was raw, chiefly to keep it from souring the sponge; it is also said to neutralise a milk component that slackens yeast batters. Pasteurised milk needs only to be warmed to lukewarm.
- Batter, not doughTwo cups of liquid to three cups of flour gives a thick pouring batter, closer to pancake batter than bread dough. Beat it well to develop some gluten, then leave it alone; the long 2-4 hour rise is what builds the gas that makes the holes.
- Griddle heatThe recipe says a hot griddle, but moderate heat serves better; too hot and the surface sets before the bubbles can rise and burst through the top, which is the whole point of a crumpet.
- RingsMuffin rings are plain metal rings about 3 1/2 inches across and 3/4 inch deep. Clean tuna tins with both ends removed work, or a ring mould from a kitchen shop. Grease both the ring and the griddle or the batter will weld itself in place.
- When to lift the ringCook until the top is set and dry and pocked with open holes, roughly 8-10 minutes, then slip off the ring and turn to colour the top for a minute. A crumpet browned hard on both sides has been overcooked.
- The oven optionThe recipe gives no oven temperature; a moderately hot oven is the reasonable reading. These come out closer to a soft roll than a true crumpet, since the batter is enclosed rather than open to the air.
- YieldExpect about a dozen crumpets from this batter in 3 1/2-inch rings. They are best split and toasted, and they freeze well once cooled.