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cooked crumpets on cooling rack

Simple sourdough crumpets (beginner friendly)

Use up some of your excess sourdough starter to make these delicious and easy sourdough discard crumpets! These crumpets are so yummy, especially when paired with lashings of butter and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 cups all purpose or baker's flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized bowl, combine sourdough starter with water, sugar and salt. Add flour and stir well to combine.
  • Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours. This can be done for 12-24 hours if placed in the fridge.
  • When ready to make crumpets, sprinkle baking powder over the batter and mix well to combine. The batter will start to become bubbly.
  • Heat a skillet or pan over low-medium heat. Grease the metal ring molds with butter, ghee or coconut oil. Add rings to the skillet to heat and add some more butter to the bottom of the pan.
  • Once hot, add crumpet batter using a small ladle or measuring cup, filling to 2/3 of the height of the ring. Do not over-fill the rings as the batter will overflow. Allow to cook over low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes. The batter will start to rise and create small holes/bubbles on the top. 
  • Once the top of the crumpet is nice and bubbly, it will start to set on the top. The sides of the crumpet should have come away from the inside of the crumpet rings. Gently remove the metal rings with a pair of tongs. 
  • Gently flip the crumpets using a spatula once the bottom of the crumpet is golden brown. Lightly cook the crumpets on the other side until golden brown, then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack. 
  • Repeat these steps with the remaining batter. I like to cool the metal rings in cold water before greasing with more butter before starting the next batch of crumpets.
  • You can eat these crumpets hot, straight from the pan if you wish. If you're not ready to eat the crumpets, store them in an airtight container or freeze in a zip-lock back for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat by placing in the toaster until heated through and crispy on both sides. Top with a knob of butter, some honey, or your favorite jam.

Notes

The batter should be loose enough to scoop and pour but not too runny. If the batter seems too thick, add a little water. If the batter seems too wet, add some additional flour.
If using sourdough discard instead of active starter, add 1/2 tsp active dry yeast to the water and combine before adding other ingredients. Ferment for only 8-12 hours.