crosswords & morning breads

sunday mornings, and usually a good part of the day, at my house, are often reserved for making bread of some sort and preparing food for the coming week. since there is always a lot of waiting involved when it comes to the bread-making part, it gives me time to do housework crosswords, leisurely drink my (gallons of) coffee and contemplate what i should be doing the rest of that day. oops, 3 pm and i'm still not dressed?? blame it on the unfinished crossword puzzle.

#72 down — 7 letters: london edible "sponge" ...... what the {insert necessary curse word here}!?!

you know, i wasted a lot of time on that one.

the joke was on me though, when i realized the answer was already "cooking" and staring me in the face in my kitchen: CRUMPET!! i guess things were meant to be that particular sunday.

(from linda's culinary and food dictionary):

crumpet (KRUHM-pit) - Crumpets are British griddlecakes. A cross between a pancake and an American-style English muffin, the crumpet is a soft yeast-raised bread that is poured into special rings about the size of a small pancake (flat discs about three inches across and an inch or so deep), then baked on a stovetop. They are similar to an English muffin (one side is smooth, the other full of tiny holes) but flatter. You don't slice a crumpet and it is best toasted. Some, especially in the north of England, call crumpets muffins, while others, particularly in the Midlands call them pikelets (a much thinner and bigger version of a crumpet).

History: British history relates to them as teacakes. Crumpets have been known for several centuries, though the origin of the name is obscure. There are records as far back as the 14th century where they are called a crompid cake. Crompid means "curved up" or "bent into a curve", which is what usually happens to thin cakes baked on a griddle; the word may be linked to crumb, crimp and other words from a common Germanic origin. In the 1930s, the word crumpet became British English slang for a woman regarded as an object of sexual desire.

it seems the english do enjoy their ladies likened to food: the word, tart, comes to mind also, LOL.

find out more about this word here.

.... and what else besides trumpet rhymes with crumpet?? an odd word, indeed.

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for first timers, making crumpets may take a little forethought and practice. metal rings are necessary to maintain the shape of these morning breads but they can be easily 'facsimiled' by take either tuna or salmon cans and removing both ends. after a good scrubbing, they are perfect; you'll have saved yourself money from having to buy them at a kitchenwares store and you're recycling. they're also good for many years to come.


the other thing a first timer needs to know or remember is that practice makes perfect. these are fairly fool-proof but one does need to make sure the right texture for the batter is achieved (all is explained below). if the batter is too thick, you'll end up with a cake-like interior. properly greasing the rings is also of extreme importance. apart from these two things, it is a very straightforward recipe and procedure, easily done by most people.

though traditionally made with milk, you can substitute (parve) soymilk for a dairy free version which is good for those on a vegan diet.

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weekend crumpets

soft and spongy, these little morning breads are filled with their traditional holes which make the perfect receptacles for capturing freshly melted butter and all kinds of jams. of course, if you're feeling lavish, you could always opt for some double devon or clotted cream to make it a memorable and most enjoyable event ;) these crumpets can be frozen for several weeks, well wrapped, and easily reheated in a toaster for a quick breakfast or anytime snack.

makes 10 to 12

ingredients:

1 tsp sugar
12 oz milk (or soy milk)
1 pkg yeast (1/2 oz or 17 g fresh)

170 g all purpose flour
170 g bread flour
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp warm water

1/3 to 1/2 c water

oil or butter (or parve margarine)
crumpet rings*

method:

mix both flours together with the salt and set aside.

warm the milk and add the sugar and the yeast. let it proof several minutes and then thoroughly mix to dissolve.

make a well in the center of the flour mixture. add the milk and yeast mixture into the center of the flour and mix well.

now either mix in a heavy duty mixer or using a strong wooden spoon, mix the batter for a good 4 to 5 minutes.

it must be worked so that when the mixture is lifted it will make a unbroken rope indicating that the gluten has been activated enough. if you skip this (mixing) step, you won't end up with a properly finished bread.

cover the bowl and let it rise for an hour to an hour and a half in a warm place (like a prewarmed oven with the pilot light on - heat the oven on the lowest setting for about a minute first before putting anything inside). let the dough rise until it has doubled. it may drop if the yeast is very active. that's a good sign and perfectly fine.

now mix together the baking soda and 3 tbsp of water and add it to the dough mixture. stir well for another 2 or 3 minutes and cover the bowl. it needs to rise again for a 1/2 hour.

grease the rings well and place them in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. if you don't oil them well enough, you can expect disaster come time to release them.

now for the "hard" part: deciding if the batter is the right texture. in order to make a "proper" crumpet, the batter has to be thin or thick "enough", depending on how you are looking at it, so that it will make the characteristic network of holes. most likely, your mixture will be too thick at this point. it's hard to say, as different flours in different countries will absorb moisture at different rates; it also depends on the time of year.

the guideline is that the batter has to be the consistency that it will drop easily into the rings in a semi solid/liquid state. what does that mean? the batter can't be too thin or too thick. so ..... make a test one first but before starting: lift the batter up with a spoon and let it drop back into bowl. if it drops in a single lump then it's too thick, if it runs all the way back into the bowl like milk would, for example, it is too thin (this is unlikely the case).

therefore, add enough water so that the batter will easily fall back into the bowl and still maintain a somewhat "gloppy" state. i suggest testing only one crumpet first — if it makes the proper holes (see below), then it's thin enough. if not, add a little more water and retest.

with that said.....

keep an extra little dish of oil and a teaspoon next to the stove.

place ONLY approximately 1/4 c (or a little less) into the rings. you don't need a lot as it will rise due to the yeast.

right away, take about a 1/2 teaspoon of oil and distribute it around the circumference of the crumpet to help it release. experience has shown that this one of the easiest ways, unless you want to start taking a knife and having to gouge it out.

in about 1 minute's time the mixture will rise and start to show holes.

after about 2 minutes, the holes will start to open up and remain open.

by 3 minutes or so, the tops should be fairly dry with only the centers somewhat still wet. it is important that the tops be almost completely dry as they will fuse together if still wet when flipped over to cook.

once the tops look almost completely cooked (dry) --> it should only take about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes at most, remove the rings. this may require you to use the help of a knife. if they are completely stuck then you did not add enough oil.

flip the crumpets over and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

voila! your own perfect creations.

(here they are cut in half to show the interior structure)

enjoy, toasted & slathered in butter & jam!