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crumpet with butter and honey

Potato Flake Sourdough Crumpets

Whip up some potato flake sourdough crumpets for breakfast or your afternoon tea! It's so fun to recreate this classic British treat using your potato flake sourdough starter to rise the batter! Those signature holes filled with butter and honey are hard to beat!
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Servings 10 crumpets

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk or Electric Beater
  • Plastic wrap
  • Non-Stick Skillet
  • 3" Crumpet Rings
  • Tongs
  • Wire Rack

Ingredients
  

For the Crumpet Batter:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup active potato flake sourdough starter
  • ½ cup of warm water
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp raw sugar or regular white sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda

For Cooking:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted (or vegetable oil, could also use cooking spray)

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of the starter, warm water, and salt. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes. If using an electric beater, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. The batter should be a bit thinner than pancake batter.
  • Add the white sugar to the mixture and whisk for an additional 30 seconds (or 15 seconds on medium speed).
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a draft free area and let is ferment for 8 hours at room temperature. Once the batter is done fermenting the surface should become foamy. This could happen before the 8 hours. The batter will not rise much but will increase in volume by about 10-15%.
  • After fermentation, add the baking powder and baking soda to the bowl. Whisk for 30 seconds to combine thoroughly.
  • Grease four rings (3 inches wide) with melted butter or vegetable oil.
  • Brush a non-stick skillet lightly with melted butter and place the rings in the skillet. Turn the stove to medium-high heat (or medium for stronger stoves) and bring it to temperature.
  • Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter into each ring, filling them about halfway. Adjust the amount if your rings are larger than 3 inches wide.
  • Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on medium-high heat until bubbles start to appear on the surface (but not popping much yet).
  • Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes. Bubbles should start popping around the edges.
  • Reduce the heat further to medium-low/low and cook for an additional 2 1/2 to 4 minutes, until the surface is set and no more bubbles are popping. Use a toothpick to help pop any remaining bubbles.
  • Use tongs to carefully remove the rings. You might need to run a knife around the edges if they stick.
  • Flip the crumpets and cook the other side for 20 to 30 seconds to add a bit of color.
  • Transfer the crumpets to a wire rack, golden side down, and let them cool completely.

Notes

Water Temperature: The water should be warm but be careful that it is not so hot that it would scorch your skin. It it is too hot it can kill the beneficial bacteria and wild yeast. To be sure, use a digital thermometer to check. Around 85 degrees is ideal but never hotter than 100 degrees.
Rings: You can use anything round to shape the crumpets, such as biscuit cutters, egg rings, or even a cleaned empty tuna can. Grease them well to prevent sticking. Don’t limit yourself to round shapes – any cookie cutter will work!
Using different sized rings: If you do use different sized rings, remember to not over fill with batter. If the crumpets are too thick, they will not have the signature holes on top. They will still be delicious, but the bottoms will also burn easier when trying cook the crumpet all the way through. 
Pan Heat: The batter needs to sizzle gently when it hits the pan. If it’s not hot enough, you won’t get the bubbles. If it’s too hot, the crumpets will burn. Test the heat by putting a dab of batter on the end of a butter knife and pressing it on the skillet. If it sizzles, it’s hot enough. There should not be wisps of smoke at this stage (if there are, the pan is too hot).
Cooking Tip: Heat control is crucial for crumpet success. Start with stronger heat to get the bubbles, then lower the heat so the crumpet cooks through without burning the base. The temperatures provided in the recipe are for a standard stove. If yours is particularly strong, dial it down a bit. Bubbles will start to pop around the edges first, then in the center. Some smoke from the butter around the rings is normal, but if it gets quite smoky, remove the skillet from the heat to cool it down a bit, then return it to the stove.
Plastic wrap: It's key to not only cover the batter with just a tea towel. This can cause it to dry out and form a crusty layer on the top. Use something like plastic wrap or beeswax wrap to prevent the batter from drying out.