I have a confession - I am terrified of yeast. You will see I try to avoid it at any cost (in this case, rather deliciously). It's the simple unpredictability of it all - the right temperature of your liquids, the right amount of sugar, the right place to rise - and you'll only know if you've achieved the perfect trifecta...when it's too late. When you have perfectly timed your dinner plans, when you know your guests are on their way and go to the oven - only to see that your yeast hasn't quite joined the party.
It was with that mindset that I decided to try Yuppiechef's recipe for crumpets. Simply looking at the images developed a craving much stronger than any yeast -fear I may have harboured.
So, one Saturday morning, armed with my sachet of yeast and pack of bacon, I braved the elements (of yeast).
I read through the recipe and hit a little speedbump in the form of 'warm' milk and water. How warm was warm? What if it wasn't warm enough for the yeast to grow happily - what if I gave them a cold bath instead? I found this article put my mind at ease, and I forged on.
When I saw my batter growing with little bubbles on the top, I literally squealed and called the lovely man to witness by victory. Candice -1, Yeast - 0.
Slightly doughy, deliciously filling and perfect for breakfast, crumpets are a denser and more bread-like version of flapjacks. This recipe does require the dough to rest for an hour - so keep that in mind when you're planning your weekend breakfast - it's worth it though.
We didn't have crumpet rings, so I used one of those little one-egg-pans per crumpet - worked perfectly. PS this is also a perfect occasion to make this lemon vanilla curd. You deserve it.
Recipe from Yuppiechef
Serves two, very generously
Ingredients:
250g
7g dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100 ml water
275 ml milk
Butter, to fry
Method:
Place the flour, bicarb, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl - make a well in the centre. Heat the milk and water in the microwave for about 30 seconds - you shouldn't be able to feel a temperature difference if you put the tip of your finger in. Pour in the warm milk and water into the dry ingredients - mix till a thick batter forms. Beat well until completely combined and cover with a damp tea towel.
Leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour until it’s a light, spongy texture.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low heat with a drop of butter. Wipe the pan with kitchen paper to remove excess butter. Place the crumpet rings in the pan, pour in enough mixture (about 2 tablespoons) to fill the rings just over halfway up the sides. Leave to cook until lots of small holes appear on the surface and the batter has just dried out. This will take about 8–10 minutes.
Remove the rings and flip the crumpets to cook for a further minute or two on the other side. Cool on a wire wrack to prevent them from sweating, while you cook the remaining crumpets.
Serve with bacon, honey, lemon curd - or any other topping that catches your fancy. Celebrate your genius, you clever thing, you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment