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Here is a challenge for Gazza - please!!  Our retired French patissier friend in the village found a recipe for crumpets on the internet, and wanted to try them.  That has inspired me to try, never having done them before.  First problem is that I only have two rings to cook them in, and the mix makes enough for 18, so this will be a long long morning. Thought  Georges might have some, but no, he only had shallow rings and had no success whatsoever!  I know mine will taste OK, especially with lots of butter, but there are no holes appearing in them at all, and they don't look like shop crumpets, even though the recipes all have people saying how successful they were. 
So Gazza, how about it then . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? 

Well, they don't look brilliant, there aren't any holes, but I can report that they tasted delicious!  Especially when we toasted them, split them, buttered them and drizzled a little honey on top as well.  Quite authentic flavour, even if the appearance leaves a little to be desired.  But if anyone can tell me how I can get the holes to appear (the internet recipes say it is easy!) then I'd like to hear please.

very tasty looking crumpets id say !!!!!!

if the batter is too thick for holes to appear I add more water to the mix content,each water droplet rises and explodes thru the batter surface leaving a small hole in its wake....to be honest id be happy with what youve produced they are a cross tween a crumpet and a beefed up Pikelet.......enjoy  !!!!!!!!!!

My batter was quite thick, and elastic, with the  yeast.  A bit difficult to add water to I'd have thought.  I suppose I could try not leaving it so long to 'work' - I left it an hour according to instructions. When you next make some, can we see some photos?

We haven't made crumpets for ages.  I've just had a look for the crumpet rings, but I can't find them.  Otherwise I'd have had a go at these for tea.

Anyhow, the recipe that we have used successfully is Elizabeth David's recommended one:

First Mixing
225g strong bread flour
225g plain household flour
1 sachet dried "instant" yeast
550 to 575ml milk & water mixed
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil (peanut oil is good)

Second Mixing
Half a teaspoon (or a bit more) bicarbonate of soda
150ml warm water

Mix flours, salt, dried yeast*
Mix milk, water, sugar, oil
Warm both bowls to blood heat (we cover ours with clingfilm and pop them in the airing cupboard)

When warmed through, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and beat very vigorously until it becomes smooth and elastic (the gluten starts to form).

Leave the batter to rise at room temperature until a lot of bubbles have formed and it looks as though it's about to collapse.  About one and half to two hours.

Stir the batter to remove most of the bubbles.  Dissolve the bicarb in the warm water and add to the batter.  Stir it in well, cover, and leave in a warm place for half an hour.

Meanwhile heat the griddle moderately.  It mustn't be too hot, so well below the temperature that the French would use for crepes.

Very lightly grease the griddle and the crumpet rings.  We start with a single crumpet just to test the temperature and evenness of heat of the griddle, and the consistency of the batter.  Pour the batter into the crumpet ring so as almost to fill it.  Let it cook very gently for 7 to 10 minutes.  If all is well, the characteristic crumpet holes should have appeared on the surface, and the bottom will be nicely done but not burnt.

If no holes, thin the batter slightly.  If the bottom is overcooked, lower the heat.

Remove the crumpet rings and flip the crumpets over with a thin palette knife.  Another two or three minutes and they should be done.  Keep them in a covered dish in a warm oven and serve at once with lashings of good unsalted butter (or let them go cold and subsequently toast them).  

My mouth is watering.  Where the h3ll did I put those crumpet rings?  :(

* If you're using fresh yeast or a dried yeast that requires activation, proceed accordingly

what about one big one ;) a crumpet cake hehe

For crumpet rings..

Save your tuna and salmon cans, take the top and bottom off with a good can opener, wash them very well, dry in the oven and they make perfect rings.

Manufacturers have changed cans a bit over the last few yeras so don't buy ones with pull rings as it leaves an edge and don't buy the ones that are tapered slightly, this is usually the salmon.

Once they have been used a few times they will become tempered and work perfectly.

You can also use cat food cans, the small ones once well washed they are fine and some of them come a bit wider than regular tuna.

They work just great and are free.

XX Jeannine

Just to let you know Peanuts,I posted your seeds today,hopefully if the posty does his job they should be at the address you gave by fri/sat.

yes,no worries,the fermentation of the yeast produces bubbles but if the batter DOESNT give you what ya looking for after youve made 2 add a squirt of soda water to the next 2 and see if that gives you the desired bubbles.

 

Thanks Gazza!  I'll definitely try crumpets again, now I've tasted the ones we made, despite their appearance. And I'll thin down the batter a bit more,  E David's recipe definitely has more liquid than I used.
Jeannine, I  tried to use the tuna tins I already had, but of course they are ring pull ones, and there was no way I could take the bottom and top off.  V annoying! I didn't have any other tins suitable.
I always keep one  tin from a tin of tomatoes which I use to fill plastic bags with veg, e.g. beans when I'm freezing them.  It works a treat. Keeps the bag nice and clean. But that was no help for my crumpets.

Just to add my 2p worth Peanuts,I work in an ins-tore bakery and every pallet of white flour I use I have to add a different amount of water,ranges from 8.7 to 9.5ltr in a 16kg mix(winter) and 8.3ltr to 8.5ltrs in the summer months I was told it was down to how old the flour and how warm the water is

Well I haven't made crumpets for years..30 years I guess when we had a Rayburn. Have to give it a go again sometime. Don't remember a problem with bubbles though...

Peanuts, you may be able to use a can opener on your ring pulls or on the left over edge, it depends on your can opener

XX Jeannine

Jeannine, I tried that, several times with two tin openers, and my hubby tried that too, with more force, but it still didn't work.  But in the end I worked through all the 'batter' and using just three rings, two proper ones and one smaller biscuit cutter, i did them all. Will make sure I save any appropriate tins for future use!