Instructions

• Stir the 1 teaspoon cane sugar and 2 teaspoons active dry yeast into the 1 cup warm milk. Let sit 10 minutes until frothy.
• In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine the 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Pour the frothy yeast-milk into the flour mixture. Stir by hand until a thick batter/dough forms. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat about 3 minutes until a thick batter/dough forms.
• Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours, until the mixture has nearly doubled in size. This rise develops the bubbles that form the crumpet holes.
• While the dough is resting, warm 1 cup water and dissolve the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in it.
• After the first rise, add the warm baking-soda water to the risen dough. Beat or stir for 1–2 minutes to incorporate; a few small lumps are fine.
• Cover the batter and let it rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. The batter should become noticeably bubbly.
• Grease the inside of your crumpet/English muffin rings. Lightly oil a frying pan or skillet and heat it over medium heat. Place the greased rings in the pan and allow them to warm for a minute or two.
• Once the rings and pan are warm, pour batter into each ring until slightly more than half full.
• Cook the crumpets on medium heat, watching closely. The tops will rise and develop holes; the bottoms should become lightly browned. This usually takes about 8–12 minutes but may vary by cookware and stovetop. Lower the heat if the bottoms brown too quickly.
• When the tops are set and holes are present and the bottoms are lightly browned, remove the rings. Either: a) flip the crumpets and cook the other side 1–2 minutes to lightly brown, or b) remove the crumpets from the rings and toast them later.
• Serve immediately with butter, jam, golden syrup, or honey. To reheat, toast; crumpets can be frozen — thaw before toasting.
• Optional: letting the batter rest longer than 30 minutes (after adding the baking-soda water) will produce more bubbles and a lighter texture if you prefer.