Tender, chewy and moist, this lemon-scented thick and bouncy crumpet recipe is easy to make and worlds better than any store bought crumpet.
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My partner AJ and I live very different lives, though obviously there are major overlaps. We’re lucky that we both love road trips, traveling to new places, camping and hiking. We can both tolerate skipping a night or two of showering (though I draw the line at 3 days, he can probably go one more day longer if pushed). And we both hate mosquitoes (though, in all honesty, who likes them?). But we also drastically diverge in some of our interest. For instance, this past weekend, AJ decided to do the Mount Tam Double Century bicycle ride. This ride happens to include 200 miles of cycling, all in one day, with 15,000 feet of climbing. Yes, that’s fifteen THOUSAND feet of climbing with a bike – about half the height of Mount Everest (which is roughly 29,000 feet high). What did I do? I stayed at home and learned how to make crumpets – a lemon scented crumpet recipe to be exact. Because I’m wacky and badass that way.
AJ’s love of cycling borders on the ridiculous. People often ask me if I go cycling with him or if I have any desire to go cycling with him. I usually answer with an emphatic NO. I mean, AJ thinks nothing of going out and cycling a 100 miles in a day. I don’t even like driving 100 miles in a day. And that’s just me sitting in a seat, pushing a gas pedal with my foot. The idea of pedaling under my own power, sounds less than appealing.
Of course, when we were on our roadtrip, my friend Jen of the fabulous blog Use Real Butter somehow conned me into renting a mountain bike so we could go biking in Crested Butte, Colorado. And, to be honest, I had a blast on it. AJ was even more thrilled about it. Though he didn’t really ride with us (he went off with Jen’s husband Jeremy who is much more of a mountain biker) the few times that we met up had him taking constant pictures of me on the bike, a novel experience for him.
Of course, that 12-mile bike ride in Crested Butte immediately got AJ scheming and thinking about getting me to go for longer rides with him. He’s been talking about doing a cross-country bike trip for awhile and apparently my little bike ride seemed to be the jumping off point for me to join him in his insane trip across this great nation, all 3000 miles of it. I love the logic of how he thinks. In the meanwhile, I’ll just stick to baking crumpets and the like at home, while he goes on his 200 mile ride. We’ll see if I jump back on a bike anytime soon.
What is a Crumpet
Crumpets sound like something you only have with tea, in a stuffy room filled with doilies surrounded by people speaking Queen’s English! But I became slightly obsessed with them with a trip to Seattle years ago, when I was told to get them at a specialty shop in Pike’s Place.
A crumpet is yeasted griddle cake that is somewhere between the yeasty bread-like English muffin and and a buttery American pancake. They are bouncy and full of holes, which make them great for soaking up butter and jam. Though traditionally British, they can be found here in the United States as well.
Crumpet vs English Muffin
Though they both are British in origin and cooked on the stovetop in a griddle or large pan, a crumpet is made with a batter, similar to a pancake batter (like the one I used for my bacon and chives pancakes) or a waffle batter (like the one I use for my best Belgian waffle), while the English muffin is more of a dough.
The resulting product is pretty different as well. Crumpets have the bounce of a light and fluffy pancake, though more doughy and yeasty. The English muffin is more like a bread roll, crumbly and dry.
I personally do not like the store bought English muffin, as they are too dry and always taste stale to me. But homemade English muffins are a different story. If you’ve never had a homemade English muffin, you must try it, as they are amazing. My recipe, based on the famous Model Bakery English muffin are just fantastic.
Storing Crumpets
You can store a crumpet at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container or resealable ziplock bag. But I personally like to freeze them to keep them fresh.
How do you freeze and warm up crumpets?
Just pop the crumpets in a freezer ziplock bag and then freeze them. To defrost, you can leave them out on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes to thaw out.
To warm them up, you can just toast them in the toaster oven or in a wide slotted toaster (the kind designed for bagels). Toast them at room temperature or while they are frozen, allow for an extra minute or two if they are not thawed to let them properly toast and brown.
What should I serve crumpets with?
My favorite way to serve crumpets is with a lot of butter and jam or preserves. My favorite preserves include strawberry plum jam, plum jam with lavender and blood orange strawberry marmalade and triple berry curd. But feel free to serve them with your favorite jam, homemade or store-bought!
If you like this crumpet recipe, check out these other breakfast savory baked good recipes:
- English Muffins
- Bialy, the bagel’s overlooked cousin
- Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
- Honey and Thyme British-style Scones
- Rosemary Flaky Biscuits
Updated October 22, 2019: I have updated this recipe formatting and cleaned up a bit of this blog post, but the recipe is the same from the original August 11, 2014 publication.
CRUMPET RECIPE (WITH OPTIONAL LEMON FLAVORING)
Equipment
- 3” round cookie cutting rings
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 cups bread flour 320 g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 140 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- zest from 1 lemon optional
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active yeast 1 package or 7 g
To finish
- butter for pan and rings
Instructions
- Place the flours, baking powder, salt and lemon zest (if usinin a large bowl. Using a balloon whisk vigorously stir the dry ingredients together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Place the milk, water and honey in a small pan and heat until lukewarm but not hot. Dissolve the yeast in the liquid then pour into the dry ingredients. Mix together with a large spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture forms the consistency of thick pancake batter. It might be lumpy still, that’s OCover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.
- Once the batter is ready, heat a large griddle pan or skillet on low heat. Place a little butter on the pan and wipe the surface down with a paper towel, distributing a very thin layer of butter on the heated surface. Grease the inside of the cookie cutter rings with more butter. Place the rings on the heated pan and fill each ring with about 1/4 cup of batter. Let cook for 4-5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the rings with the crumpets in it and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the second side is golden brown. Remove from heat to a wire rack and let cool until you can remove the crumpet from the ring. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re looking for something to serve with this crumpet recipe, try these various recipes from around the web:
David Lebovitz’ Improved Lemon Curd
The Culinary Life’s Clotted Cream, Stovetop Method
The Year in Food’s Orange Marmalade
Love and Olive Oil’s Chocolate Raspberry Jam
Recipe Girl’s Blueberry Refrigerator Jam
Chelsea says
You are totally wacky and badass! My husband and I are this way about his running. I asked him once whether it would make him happy if I went running with him, and was so relieved when he said no! I’d also rather be in the kitchen.
I love a good crumpet. I especially like them topped with salted butter and honey, though that can get a bit sticky if you don’t eat them fast enough…
Irvin says
Salted butter and honey sounds fabulous on these crumpets! I’ll have to try that next. I put that combo on bagels all the time…
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
These look soooo good! I’ve never made crumpets! Something to try soon, for sure 🙂
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Crumpets make me so happy!! Love this recipe 🙂
Pat Fusco says
Stay off the bike and in the kitchen as long as you produce beauties like these. I adore crumpets, especially when the butter runs out of the holes and on to my fingers. The lemon is an interesting touch, Irvin. Thanks.
Irvin says
Right? There is something about the holes in the crumpets that hold onto the butter and jam that make crumpets extra special.
Mallory @forkvsspoon says
My first crumpet was in Seattle. As was my second and third. So delicious! I like splitting them as well, more surface area for that jam!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Our first attempt at an English Muffin – is that the same as a crumpet? was a dismal failure. We were looking for the nice holes and a good chew! The ones we got were just edible. But yours look really good – I hate to admit defeat so we’ll have to try them again. I have a question for you Irving — say there was some fantastic chef at the top of a mountain — he likes his solitude and to cook. But he was going to let you stay with him and cook fantastic things. AJ is invited too. Would you attempt that bike trip up there if that was the only way to go?? There is a luxury spa up there so you do get all the amenities once you’re up there. After all the famous chef does like his luxuries too.
Irvin says
The English M=muffin is actually different than a crumpet. Hopefully I’ll get my recipe up for the English muffin some time. But crumpets are more chewy and have holes in them and are more moist. They also don’t have the cornmeal or the semolina crust that English muffins have.
And to answer your question absolutely! I’m not opposed to biking, in fact I really enjoyed my mountain biking when I was in Crested Butte. I’d just be REALLY slow about it so it might take awhile to bike up there. And I’d definitely make sure to take advantage of that luxury spa…
Teri says
Love your crumpet recipe ! Thank you for your fabulous writing and delicious recipes.
Christine at Cook the Story says
I’ve never seen such crumpet perfection! They look delicious!
Amy says
I can just taste their squishy-crunchy deliciousness …thanks!
I have rings but don’t make ’em, now I will because I can trust the recipe.
(There used to be a crumpet shop on Irving St – can you say butter and maple butter? Mmmmmm!)
Thanks for the riding confessions. If you guys are ever in Bozeman, you & I can be hiking partners and AJ can ride the mountains w/my hubby. That way we’ll save time for the important stuff to happen in the kitchen!
🙂
A
Irvin says
Sounds like a plan! I just need to get out to Bozeman! AJ and I somehow skipped Montana on our roadtrip last year, and I’ve been wanting to go there. I hear it’s beautiful! Especially Glacier National Park.
Kevin | keviniscooking says
Irvin, those Crested Butte images look so peaceful, what a great shot of the trees behind you on that road. My hubby Dave and I are doing Bike the Bay, our 3rd marathon ride, here in San Diego that is the only time one can ride over the Coronado bridge in anything other than a vehicle, but that is the limit for me. AJ crushes it!
As for those crumpets, they look equally amazing and delicious!
Irvin says
Bike the Bay sounds great. I might even do that! But yeah, Aj totally crushes me, and pretty much everyone else that I know…
elizabeyta says
Yum! I do a baked version because I am lazy that way. I may have to try this recipe that way. I had an acquaintance who rode from Seattle to Houston, through Minneapolis (?). After reading his experience, my suggestion would be to ride across the US like my mother walked across England, at about 10 miles a day. Obviously, I am with you about riding across the US.
Irvin says
Ha! 10 miles a day would be REALLY slow. I think it would take all year. But that’s probably a more reasonable rate for me…
Also, did your mother really walk across England? How cool is that!
elizabeyta says
Yes, she did. There are organized walks and it took about a month. She wants to do a walk across Wales next.
Arthur in the Garden! says
I am a wuss. I don’t like getting sweaty in public. I will work in the garden all day but must be clean and fresh if I and about town and run into people! Otherwise, making crumpets sounds safer, too! Crazy car drivers do not give cyclist enough room on the roads. 🙂
Irvin says
I don’t even work in a garden! How’s that for sad?
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
I’m with you, let’s just stay at home and bake up a storm. When everyone else gets done exercising, they’ll be hungry and thankful!
Maria Lopez says
Nice post..amazing pictures! thank you for sharing..:)
merri says
I didn’t use to like crumpets until i tried the ones they sell at whole foods. they’re so good! yours are probably even way better…lemon yum. That is a TON of cycling, AJ. I would not be able to do even a fraction.
Gty says
Thought you might be interested what you are making here are pikelets when I was a small boy I lived in Nottingham UK we had a local company that made pikelets called piketts pikelets they were only for 2 or 3 month a year in the UK they are consumed 2 ways covered in butter loads of butter or toast them butter them put chedder chess on top put them back under the grill melt the cheese. FANTASTIC