Crumpets

[samarrange]

I made my second-ever batch of crumpets today. (The first was about 20 years ago and I don't remember anything about it.) I followed this recipe to the gram and used 10cm-diameter, 1.5cm-high rings.

The main problem I had was that in almost every case, by the time the bottom of the crumpet was cooked enough (any more and it would have started to burn), there was still a layer of 1-2 mm of uncooked batter on the top. If I flipped the crumpet at that point this layer became a partial cover for the holes and so when I butter the crumpet it just runs off. I tried scraping the top layer off but either some half of it went into the holes that had formed and filled them in, or the last half a millimetre made a perfect (albeit thinner this time) cover for the holes and I was back to having the butter running off.

I tried everything: More heat, less heat, varying the heat during cooking, using less batter, thinning the batter, but nothing helped. Even putting in quite a lot less dough to make the crumpets thinner didn't really work because I still had the layer of runny batter until they were so thin that they barely formed any holes, once again not giving me the real crumpet effect.

Does anyone have any tips for this tragic situation?

Don’t know really other than it seems like an awful lot of batter for only 10 crumpets!
I’ve followed St Delia’s recipe (very successfully 😊) which uses about half of the flour/liquid of your recipe for 12 crumpets.
Or you could try blowtorching the tops to finish them off?

He was using a much bigger ring, I think. I got 18 from a 60% quantity of his batter (but I did multiply everything by 0.6 very carefully).

I had an inspiration and asked ChatGPT (I hate AI for anything serious, but it can be quite good for a "wish-I-could-summarise-all-of-Google-in-one-go" response). Below (edited to remove the excessive niceness) is what it said.

I did indeed think about using a lid at the time, which is what I do to make fried eggs without runny white on the top. But I was a bit concerned that it might leave the crumpets soggy. On reflection, though, they are going to be finished off in the toaster, and there's a lot of water in the dough anyway, so I guess it's not a bad idea.

Anyway, over to ChatGPT:

The issue you're running into is quite common and usually boils down to two main things: batter consistency and heat distribution. Here are a few specific tips that might help:
🧪 1. Batter Rest Time and Consistency

• Let it ferment longer: Even if the batter has bubbled a bit, give it more time to develop a stronger rise. A well-fermented batter is crucial to developing those signature holes on top.
• Slightly thinner batter: You mentioned thinning it already, but it might be worth trying just a touch thinner still (but not runny). Think thick pancake batter—easily pourable but not watery.

🔥 2. Heat Control and Cooking Technique

• Use a lid: This is a big one. Crumpets are often cooked with a lid on the pan, which traps just enough steam to gently cook the top without the need to flip or burn the bottom.
• Lower and slower: If you’ve already tried lowering the heat, try lowering it even more and just being patient. Crumpets can take 10–12 minutes to cook through on one side.

(there was more here) 🥞 Final Thoughts A perfectly cooked crumpet has that dry-ish, spongy top with tons of tunnels. If the top is still gooey after a long cook, steam and lid-trapping is your best friend. Also: resist flipping unless you truly have to—flipping often closes the holes and gives you more of a pancake or pikelet than a crumpet.

Lovely!

That's so useful, thanks. I’ve got some rings arriving today, so going to make my own crumpets for the first time.