Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
5 tablespoons butter cut into 1/4-inch bits
1 package or cake of active dry or
compressed yeast
2 tablespoon lukewarm water
(about 110 to 115 degrees)
Directions - English Crumpets Recipe:
In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water and let them stand for 2 or 3 minutes. Then stir them together to dissolve the yeast completely. Set the bowl in a warm, draft-free place, such as an unlighted oven, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.
In a small pan, clarify the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter by melting it slowly without letting it brown. Skim off the surface foam and spoon the clear butter into a bowl, discarding the milky solids at the bottom of the pan. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet and the inside surfaces of the flan rings or cookie cutters or cans with about half the clarified butter.
Arrange the rings in the skillet and place the pan over moderate heat. For each crumpet, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter into each ring. The batter will immediately spread out and fill the ring. When the crumpets begin to bubble and their bottoms turn a light brown remove the rings. Turn the crumpets over with a wide spatula and cook for another minute or so to brown them on the other side. Transfer the crumpets to a heated serving plate and cover with foil to keep them warm while you coat the skillet and rings with the rest of the clarified butter and cook the remaining batter.
English Crumpet
Recipe yields 2 cups batter.