Crumpets with whipped leatherwood honey butter

Homemade crumpets don’t have as many holes, and take a while to cook, but the good news is, you can make them ahead because they’re even better toasted a few days after making. You can use crumpet rings (available from good cookware stores) which will make 12 crumpets. If you use egg rings, it will make 20.

• makes

  12-20

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  24 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 750 ml (3 cups) milk
• 7 g (1 sachet) dry yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 30 g butter, finely chopped, plus extra, to cook
• 500 g (3⅔ cups) plain flour, sifted

Whipped honey butter

• 100 g butter, softened
• 100 g leatherwood or other floral honey

Resting time: 1 hour

Instructions

To make the honey butter, in an electric mixer, whip butter and honey together until light and fluffy. Store in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.

To make the crumpets, warm the milk gently so it feels the same temperature as your finger. (If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the yeast.) Dissolve yeast in 2 tbsp of the warmed milk. Dissolve sugar in the remaining 710ml milk, then stir in the butter until melted.

Combine flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in the milk and butter mixture, then the yeast. Stir until combined. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warmish place. It should be bubbly and thick and able to be poured, though slowly. Transfer to a jug.

Grease crumpet rings and a griddle or large heavy-based frying pan with butter. Heat over medium heat, place rings in pan and pour mixture two-thirds of the way up the rings; don’t overfill as the crumpets will continue to rise.

Cook for 6 minutes or until a few holes appear on top and it starts to dry out, but beware the base doesn’t get too dark. (A lower heat helps, but too low and the bubbles won’t form as well.) Remove crumpet rings, turn crumpets over, and cook for 2 minutes or until base is browned. Serve immediately with honey butter, or toast later for a treat.

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 15, pg 32. Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.