Crumpets - a virtually fool-proof recipe!

The crumpets pictured to the right were my third attempt. I think I've found the secret to crumpets - a LOT of research. The first two recipes I tried just weren't right. The first batch didn't get holey; they kinda turned out like a cross between crumpets, pancakes AND waffles. The second recipe was made by a shop in Seattle that specializes in crumpets. I thought, "oh, I bet this one will work." Well, it got holey and cooked well but tasted rather biscuity. I think I know why: that recipe didn't call for milk, only water.

I honestly must've looked through at least two dozen recipes! I finally found one that sounded promising. I didn't follow it; I modified it based on what I'd learned with the previous 2 batches.
1. If you only use water, the crumpets will lack flavor and will have a funny consistency.
2. Make your batter THINNER than every recipe calls for!

So, here's my recipe and I think it's pretty good. I will probably tweak it a bit more and see how that goes; but for now, enjoy!

4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 packet dry yeast (or 1 tbsp)
1.5 tbsp sugar
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
2 cups lukewarm milk
butter flavor Pam cooking spray (or generic equivalent)

Heat both milk and water (separately) on the stove until warm, but not too hot to the touch. While these are on the stove, place yeast into a large, stainless steel mixing bowl (or glass - just don't use plastic).

When water is suitably warm, add 1/4 c of it to the yeast. Note: If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Add the sugar to the yeast, stir thoroughly and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy.

Sift the flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda onto the yeast mixture. Add all of the warm milk and at least 1 cup of the warm water. With a hand mixer, beat on high for several minutes. If batter is too thick, add more water a half cup at a time (and beat thoroughly). You want a batter that is not too thick and not too thin. It should be about the consistency of pancake batter: not runny, but definitely not thick. It should pour easily but not be as drippy as milk or water. 5-6 cups of liquid should be sufficient.

Heat your oven on it's lowest temperature possible. We have a gas oven and heated it to 170°. Cover the batter with aluminum foil and place in the oven. About 20 minutes in the oven, turn the heat off. Let the batter sit in the oven for an additional 40-60 minutes. This will "proof" the batter and make it really bubbly!

Before I go on, let me reveal the other secrets.
1. Get these egg/pancake rings.
2. Get an electric skillet - preferably this one.
3. Temperature is key. Cook too fast and they'll end up a bit doughy inside. Temps between 350°-375° seem ideal.

Why are these important?
1. These rings are awesome - just be aware that the little handle doesn't stay on very well. I had a couple of ring disasters thanks to that!
2. The electric skillet I linked to is the perfect size. It's big enough for the 4 rings + 4 crumpets already out of their rings. Also, it's easy to control the temperature on an electric skillet. The rest of my instructions will be tailored to this particular skillet.

Ok, now back to cooking crumpets! About 5 minutes before you take the batter out of the oven, turn the heat on the skillet to about 375° (i.e., medium-high heat).

Place the rings onto the half of the skillet nearest the heat control. Spray with Pam (I used the butter flavored kind). Using a 1/4 c measuring cup, spoon batter into each of the rings.
Note: another secret - don't pour the batter into the center. Pour it around the edges of the ring (use a circular motion to pour it). This will help your crumpets reach the edge of the rings. If you pour the batter in the center, the center will tend to be a bit thicker than the rest and not cook right.
Also note, it is important to use only 1/4 c of batter. If your crumpets get too thick, they won't develop very good holes; or, the holes won't be able to break through the surface.

Continue to bake the crumpets for about 5-8 minutes. At about the 3 minute mark, the crumpets should be set enough for you to slide them to the far end of the skillet and remove the rings. Please note - do this GENTLY, or risk the egg ring handle coming off and the rings landing on your half baked crumpets. Several of my crumpets ended up with smiley faces thanks to this.

Notice the crumpets in this photo. See how the edges look dry, while the center still looks wet? When most of the crumpet is dry looking, flip it and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until there are golden brown marks present.

Our batch made exactly 32 crumpets.

If you eat them while hot and fresh, serve with butter or jam (preferably marmalade). If you can find it, try clotted cream and lemon curd.

You can also refrigerate/freeze the leftovers. For any leftover crumpets, put them in the toaster until nice and crispy on the outside!

Enjoy!

Addendum

Here is how I intend to tweak the recipe.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 packet dry yeast (or 1 tbsp)
3 tbsp sugar
1-2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
3-4 cups lukewarm milk
1 tbsp butter, melted (to be mixed in after the yeast mixture and before the flour)
butter flavor Pam cooking spray (or generic equivalent)

I think more milk and butter will lead to a richer texture/flavor for the crumpets. I will probably use a total of 6 cups liquid. I think I used about 5-5 1/2 cups this last time and I think the batter was a tad too thick still.

If you try either recipe, let me know how they turn out.