Crumpets are loved for their unique doughy texture but it’s this very thing that makes them seem hard to bake from scratch.

Fortunately, Jamie Oliver’s recipe is easy to follow and doesn’t compromise on taste or the trademark holey consistency.

The health-conscious chef uses a simple mixture of just six ingredients to make his “classic crumpets”, all of which can be found in most local supermarkets.

What’s more, the tea-time treats take less than one hour to make from start to finish, so they can be enjoyed fresh from the pan at any time of day.

While they work with both sweet and savoury toppings, the crumpets are best served with a generous helping of butter and a hot cup of tea.

READ MORE: Rhubarb crumble cake is the ideal late-summer dessert for fruit lovers

Ingredients

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

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Method

Start by gently warming the milk either in a microwave using short intervals or in a pan over low heat on the stove.

Once heated, dissolve the yeast and caster sugar into the bowl of milk and add 100ml of tepid water. Leave in a warm place for 15 minutes or until frothy.

Move onto the dry ingredients for the batter 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 floury mixture to the sides.

Pour in the milk and yeast mixture then whisk all of the ingredients together from the centre of the bowl, outwards. Continue to do this until the consistency resembles smooth double cream. This should take a few minutes, after which it will be clear as to whether an extra splash of water is needed 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 little bubbles form on the surface.

Prepare the cooking utensils by greasing 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 arrange the rings inside it. Once hot, spoon four tablespoons worth of batter into each ring to form the crumpets.

Cook for five minutes until small bubbles appear at the top. Jamie explained that once the bubbles have burst, leaving little holes, use tongs to carefully lift the rings and flip each crumpet.

Once cooked, lift the rings from the pan to remove the crumpets before regreasing the rings and pan to cook the next batch of batter.

Allow time for the pan to reheat if needed before filling the rings with four tablespoons each of mixture. Repeat the cooking process once more until the crumpets are cooked then, set aside and move on to the final batch.

Serve hot from the pan with butter or, if making in advance, store in an airtight container until ready to eat.

Toast lightly before serving and lather with butter for that classic crumpet flavour.

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