Crumpets
(makes 25-30 small ones using egg rings - I made a half lot of 16)
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750ml (3cups) milk
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1 teaspoon caster sugar
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7g (1 sachet) dry yeast
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30grams/1oz butter
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500grams (3 2/3 cups) plain flour
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1 teaspoon salt
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egg rings and extra butter to grease pan and rings
Cooking time: an hour to rise, an hour to cook
Step 1 - Warm the milk gently sot hat it feels the same temperature as your finger. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast. Dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons of the milk (I needed 1/2 cup of milk to do this). Mix the flour and salt and stir i the milk and butter then the yeast. Stir until it's an even, fairly thick batter. Cover and leave to rise about 60-90 minutes in a warmish place covered with a tea towel (since it is cold and there is no warm place or sun at 4am, I placed the bowl in a larger bowl with warmish hot water). It should be bubbly and able to be poured, though slowly. Transfer to a large jug.
Step 2 - Grease egg rings and a griddle or a large heavy based frypan. A spray oil works wonders but butter tastes a lot better. Heat gently over a medium flame and pour mixture about 2/3 of the way up the egg rings (my mixture wasn't thin enough to pour, more just dollop and spread to the sides). They will continue to rise to don't overfill. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side, so the top gets a few holes and has started to dry out, but beware the base doesn't get too dark. A lower heat helps but too low and the bubbles don't form as well. If they're not forming the holes, add a touch more milk to the batter. Remove egg rings and turn over (I prefer to turn and then after a minute remove the egg rings so that they try and stay round as much as possible). Cook for 2 minutes on the other side to brown.
Recipe from Matthew Evans' The Weekend Cook