Crispy gluten-free crumpets with air pocket texture and appearance are a British breakfast and teatime treat, accompanied with butter, jam and/or honey.
These gluten-free crumpets can be prepared the day before and toasted the next morning for breakfast. An instant and fuss-free breakfast!
What are crumpets?
They are similar to a pan-fried English muffin with a crispy base and a soft, airy, spongy top, usually dotted with air pocket holes to accommodate lashings of butter, honey or golden syrup.
I love crumpets and after enjoying them for breakfast on many occasions in London, I was determined to make my own gluten-free version. Living in Vienna, there are no Marks & Spencers or Tescos supermarkets around to purchase their scrumptious gluten-free crumpets, so here is a recipe for those missing these breakfast gems.
Testing gluten-free crumpets
After six attempts, I finally cracked the code and found this recipe to be the closest to a true crumpet. Needless to say, we are overdosed on crumpets in my home after many tastings, although Kia (our forever hungry dog) was more than happy to sample a few (without the honey butter!).
Crumpet Rings
If you are looking for crumpet rings, I found them on Amazon, although mason jar rings or hamburger rings are perfectly suitable for the job, just make sure you grease them well, so the batter doesn’t stick to the sides.
Gluten-Free Crumpets
Equipment
- Mason jar lid rings, or
- Hamburger rings
Ingredients
GLUTEN-FREE CRUMPETS
- 125 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free bread flour
- 125 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum Optional, as additional binding strength
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- 250 ml warm milk
- 250 ml warm water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil, for greasing the crumpet rings
HONEY BUTTER
- 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp runny honey
Instructions
GLUTEN-FREE CRUMPETS
Preparing the batter
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, salt, sugar, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda and yeast.
- Combine the milk and water, add this to the flour mixture.
- Mix well for 5 minutes.
- Cover the batter with plastic film or a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for one hour or more.
HONEY BUTTER
- In a small bowl, mix the butter and honey. Set aside to serve later.
Frying the crumpets
- Grease a frying pan and the crumpet rings with oil and heat on medium-low for a few minutes to get everything nice and hot for the batter. Make sure the rings are well-greased for easy removal later.
- Pour a large spoonful of the mixture into each crumpet ring so that they are ¾ full. Try not to overfill as the batter rises significantly.
- Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, then increase the heat to medium and cook a further 3 to 4 minutes before flipping each crumpet over and cooking the other side for 2 minutes. Before flipping check that the top is no longer wet, as in the photo. These heat and time instructions are important to follow to ensure even cooking.
Serving the crumpets
- Remove the crumpets from the rings by using an oven mitt to hold the cooked crumpet, then carefully release it gently using a butter knife. Transfer to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.
- Serve the crumpets either toasted or untoasted with the honey butter. Toasting the crumpets will crisp up the sides even more and add a typical crumpet texture.
Notes
- Keeps for 3 days chilled and can be reheated in a toaster
- Suitable to freeze and defrost immediately in a toaster
