Food Encyclopedia

crumpet

Hailing from the British Isles, crumpets are small, yeast-raised breads about the size of an English muffin. They're made in crumpet rings (also called english muffin rings), which are 4 inches in diameter and about 1 inch deep. The rings are made of stainless steel and typically sold in packages of four at gourmet kitchenware shops. If you can't find them, substitute scrupulously clean 61⁄8-ounce tuna cans with tops and bottoms removed. The unsweetened crumpet batter is poured into the crumpet rings (which have been arranged on a griddle), then "baked" on a stovetop. The finished crumpet has a smooth, brown bottom and a top riddled with tiny holes. Crumpets are toasted whole (unlike english muffins, which are split) and spread with butter or clotted cream and jam, as desired.