Recipe: Oven-Baked Crumpets for an At-Home Brunch

Now, I love me a good brunch. Whether it’s a delicious black-pudding benedict at The Dynamo, or something more sweet and stack-like in the form of pancakes, there’s nothing better than a lazy start to the weekend filled with delicious food.

But, ya’no, I’ve got a wedding to pay for. Savings to build up for eventual house purchases. Coats I’m lusting after in M&S. I’ve also got study to be doing approximately 90% of the year. Unfortunately weekly brunch trips aren’t in my budget – time or money wise. But no matter, because we’ve started trying to make time, just every couple of weeks, to do brunch-at-home.

Stay at home brunching could ever be considered better. I mean, you get to stay in your PJs, don’t have to remove the smudges of yesterday’s make-up, and there’s no one (bar your fiancé) to judge quite how many cups of tea you drink. Win all round me thinks!

This recipe has become one of my favourites. It’s quick and easy. The batter can be whipped whilst the kettle boils, then left to rest whilst you snuggle in bed with your first cuppa and the papers. It can be thrown into the oven whilst you shower, or have your second cuppa. Served with a full table of toppings, you’ve got an effortless brunch to be proud of. And (bonus point!) any leftovers freezer extremely well, ready for reheating in the microwave for mid-week breakfasts.

Ingredients (recipe adapted from Jamie’s Breakfast Crumpies)

• 250g strong bread flour
• 1/4 teaspoon caster sugar (if you’re definitely going with sweet toppings, possibly up this slightly to a 1/2 teaspoon)
• 5g yeast
• 1 large pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease 6 holes of a muffin tin with a little butter. Pop the ingredients in a bowl and add 300ml of water (it should be the temperate of a warm, not too hot, bath). Whisk everything together quickly, then leave to rest for around 15 minutes.

After resting, the batter will have thickened and be sticky to the touch. Spoon until the greased muffin tips (almost to the top) and level it. Bake for 25-30 minutes – they will be risen, golden and slightly crisp on top. Cool slightly, before splitting and topping with your favorite fillings.

Fillings. The fun part. I’ve tried lots and, whilst nutella is bloody yum when these crumpets are still warm, I don’t think anything can beat a good salty butter. My current favorite is actually a goat butter. Not only are goat’s one of my favorite animals (seriously, they’re so cute!) they also make pretty fab alternative dairy products. It’s pretty obvious I’m a fan of goat’s cheese (particularly with beetroot), but I was pleasantly surprised by the milk and yoghurts from St Helen’s Farm* too. For me, though, it was this butter that stole the show. Salty, rich, and it melted into an almost creamy consistency. Lathered onto my crumpets along with a touch of honey and an extra sprinkling of salt – that’s my perfect brunch right there…

What’s your favorite brunch treat? What would you prefer to top crumpets with?