Homemade Crumpets

Directions

1. 1
   Stir together the milk, water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit everything sit for 5 minutes.
2. 2
   Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture, then beat the batter together with a wooden spoon until it's completely smooth, about 5 minutes. (The mixture will be similar in texture to a thick pancake batter or a sourdough starter.)
3. 3
   Cover with a kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours. The batter will look bubbly.
4. 4
   In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, and water. Immediately pour this into the large bowl of batter and stir until it's completely combined. Set aside for 15 minutes in a warm place.
5. 5
   Meanwhile, use a pastry brush to grease a few chef rings with vegetable oil. Lightly oil a large non-stick frying pan and place the ring molds in the pan, leaving some space between them. (I fit two 3-inch and two 2-inch rings into my pan.) Heat over a medium-low flame.
6. 6
   Scoop the batter into the rings in the pan. (I used about 1/4 cup of batter for the 3-inch rings and a little less for the 2-inch rings.) Cook the batter in the rings for 8 to 15 minutes, until the surface of the batter looks opaque and dry with quite a few holes in it. The batter may start pulling away from the sides of the rings.
7. 7
   Use a butter knife to loosen the crumpets from the rings. Remove the rings from the pan using kitchen tongs.
8. 8
   Flip the crumpets using a spatula and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan to a wire rack.
9. 9
   Repeat steps 5 though 8 until all the batter has been used.
10. 10
    Serve hot from the pan or leave them to cool on the wire rack then reheat in a toaster. Eat warm with salted butter and honey!