Jamie Oliver shares money-saving recipe for 'classic' crumpets

23 September 2023 , 15:21

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You could make fresh, bouncy crumpets with this recipe at home (Image: Getty Images/imageBROKER RF)

Crumpets have become much loved across the UK thanks to their squidgy, doughy texture and can be enjoyed with a sweet jam topping in afternoon tea or with salty butter to start the day at breakfast. Baking the 'cakes' from scratch can be a big feat to do, especially if you want to nail the texture.

Thankfully one recipe from chef Jamie Oliver will help you do just that and whilst it's easy for home cooks to follow, it's also surprisingly cheap to do. As the health-aware chef's recipe says you just need six simple ingredients to make the 'classic crumpets'.

You could enjoy crumpets with the classic butter topping or opt for jam (Getty Images)

As well as this his method serves 12 people, so you'll get double the amount for your money compared to six which is often found in pre-made packets. And as reported by The Express his recipe will take just an hour to make, so you'll be able to serve up freshly baked crumpets at any time of the day.

The ingredients you'll need

Serves 12

• 400ml milk
• Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• One teaspoon of dried yeast
• One teaspoon caster sugar
• 300g strong white flour
• Vegetable oil for greasing

The method

Start by gently heating the milk in a microwave using short intervals or in a pan over low heat on the stove. Once warmed, dissolve the yeast and caster sugar into the bowl of milk and add 100ml of lukewarm water. Leave in a warm place until frothy (for 15 minutes).

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Meanwhile, move on to the dry ingredients to make the batter. Start by sifting the flour in a large bowl, followed by the bicarbonate of soda and one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir to combine, then make a well in the centre of the bowl by pushing the dry, floury mixture to the sides.

Pour in the milk and yeast mixture then whisk all of the ingredients together. Continue to do this until the consistency resembles smooth double cream. This should only take a few minutes, if the consistency is too thick you can add a splash of water to loosen the batter.

Once the consistency is right, cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside for 45 minutes, or until small bubbles form on the surface. Now you can move on to preparing the cooking utensils.

Grease four 10cm egg rings with vegetable oil then wipe a little onto the base of a non-stick pan or skillet. Put the pan over high heat on the stove and place the rings inside it. Once hot, spoon four tablespoons of batter into each ring to form the crumpets.

Cook for five minutes until bubbles appear at the surface, once the bubbles have burst, leaving little holes, use tongs to carefully lift the rings and flip each crumpet. Similar to the bubbles that appear in the middle of pancakes when they're ready to be flipped.

Once cooked, lift the rings from the pan to remove the crumpets before regreasing the rings before you go on to cook the next round of batter. Allow time for the pan to reheat if needed too. Repeat the cooking process once more until the crumpets are cooked then, set aside and move on to the final batch.

You can serve the crumpets hot from the pan with butter or store in an airtight container and re-heat by popping in the toaster when ready to eat. Again, you could choose the classic butter topping or opt for a sweater jam spread instead, whatever takes your fancy.

Harriet Morphy-Morris