Crumble topping help please

[restinggenius]

My crumble topping is always too fine. There are never any satisfying lumpy/ crunchy/ chewy bits, just a fine dusty dust.
What am I doing wrong?

You need to stop rubbing the fat into the flour so efficiently! Leaving lumps in it is what makes those lovely crunchy bits. I also recently read that crumbled ginger nuts make a lovely addition.

Add some oars and crushed hazelnuts - yum

I add nuts and oats also

Great.
Thank you.
I'll add crunch and not rub so hard on Sunday, see if it's any better.

After I've rubbed the butter in to the flour and sugar I sprinkle a tiny bit of water over and squidge the mixture into some rough lumps as well as finer stuff. Works really well.

I add oats too, and recently started adding a bit of water (Like a tb or so, add in small amounts) to make it more sticky without adding more butter or sugar/honey, so I now end up with a more clumpy mix to start with that bakes nice and crunchy. We like it that way.

Ooh Selks that sounds like a great idea - thank you.
And Anja, honey? Instead of sugar? Another new one to try.
Thank you.

I also use molasses sugar (partly in a bid to cut down on refined sugar) or dark brown sugar, it doesn't mix down really smooth either and you get more of those crunchy bit that PollyCazaletWannabe mentioned.

I also like mine made with a bit of wholemeal flour added but I guess that could be an acquired taste.

I use

6 oz SR flour
3oz Butter
3oz Granulated sugar
1oz of Dark brown sugar

Tis always lovely

You can always try Aunt Bessie's. I always made my own but found this excellent and a really quick way to produce a tasty crumble, even midweek. I know it's cheating but- hey, life's quite short!

my crumble just exploded - do you want to me to cry?

My secret is to use melted butter, no rubbing in, just stir in thoroughly. In fact, i often prepare the topping in the dish of my scales so minimal washing up too.

It comes out super crunchy!

6oz plain flour,3oz melted butter,2-3oz caster sugar
(Or I just do 1/2 as much butter and sugar as I have weighed out flour)

Prepare fruit according to type.
Sift flour into a bowl, add sugar and pour in melted butter. Toss together until mixed.
Add to prepared fruit, bake for about 40mins.

Use half flour, quarter jumbo oats, quarter ground almonds. It's fab.

Same as Furball and it turns out short, crumbly, buttery and delicious. I've tried adding oats but it goes a bit soggy like flapjacks.

I add crushed up bits of shortbread and pecan nuts, sometimes I use demerera instead of white sugar.

I always make crumble with wholemeal flour, butter and dark brown sugar, handful of oats and some cinnamon. Usually: 120g flour, 60g butter, 60g sugar.

Following

I always put extra dots of butter on the topping once it's been put over the fruit.

We just made a crumble this evening and the topping came out gorgeous!

We used 150 g butter left out of the fridge for a few hours. Add 200 g plain flour. Mixed together using an electric whisk but not too much, there were still a few clumps left in it. Then stirred through 100 g oats and 200 g demerera sugar.

It came out beautifully crunchy :)