Homemade Crumpets with Honey

📝 Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 5 g dried yeast (1 sachet)
• 250 ml semi-skimmed milk + 100 ml lukewarm water (70 ml for the yeast, 30 ml for the bicarbonate of soda)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 level tsp salt
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp honey (60 g)
• 400 g plain 0% skyr

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Large non-stick frying pan
• 4 pastry rings, 9 cm in diameter
• Wire cooling rack
• Toaster

📖 Steps

1. Warm the milk in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 min: it should feel just lukewarm to the touch (about 37 °C), never hot, or the yeast will die. Add 70 ml lukewarm water, the sugar and the yeast, stir and leave to stand for 5 min, until foamy.
2. Put the flour in a mixing bowl with the salt to one side. Pour the milk mixture into the centre and whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 min, until you have a smooth, elastic batter, slightly thicker than pancake batter.
3. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr in a warm place, away from draughts, until the batter has doubled in volume and is covered in bubbles.
4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the remaining 30 ml lukewarm water, whisk it into the batter for 30 seconds, then leave to rest for another 15 min: this is what creates the famous holes.
5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a low-medium heat. Generously butter the inside of the rings and the base of the pan using kitchen paper, then place the rings in the pan for 1 min to heat up.
6. Pour about 5 tbsp batter into each ring, 1 cm deep. Cook for 7 to 8 min over a low heat without touching, until the top is matt, dry and full of holes. If the underside browns too quickly, turn down the heat.
7. Remove the rings with a tea towel (they're very hot), running a knife blade around the edge, turn the crumpets over and cook for 1 min on the other side. Leave them to cool on a wire rack, butter the rings and repeat.
8. Just before serving, toast the crumpets in the toaster or in a dry frying pan for 1 to 2 min per side, until crisp. Serve 2 crumpets per person, drizzled with honey, with the skyr on the side.