Step 1

Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, without the yeast and salt touching directly, combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and bakind soda.

Step 2

Make the batter: Add the water and use a handheld electric beater to beat the mixture for 1 full minute. Start on low-meidum so that it doesn't splatter, working up to medium-high.

Step 3

Rest the batter: Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or plate and sit it in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. It should look a little frothy on top by the end but won't rise much.

Step 4

Prep the crumpet rings: Grease the inside of 3-4 crumpet rings with a little butter then dip them in flour and tap off any excess.

Step 5

Heat the pan: Heat a large, non-stick, flat bottomed frying pan over med-high heat. Let it heat for a couple of minutes until it feels hot when you hover your hand over the top.

Step 6

Cook (stage 1): Place 2-3 of the crumpet rings into the pan and tip about 1/4 cup of batter into each one. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes until there is a good ring of dry batter and bubbles all burst around the edge of the crumpets.

Step 7

Cook (stage 2): Turn the heat to low-med and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until all the bubbles have popped and he crumpets look dry all over (once dry, no more bubbles will pop)

Step 8

Flip & finish: Remove the rings and flip the crumpets for 2-3 seconds - just enough to seal the top, not colour them. Remove them from the pan and allow to cool.

Step 9

Clean the rings and re-grease and flour. Start again from step 7 for the remaining batter.

Step 10

Toast & serve: Always toast crumpets until golden before serving. If you're serving them immediately, just leave them in the pan after you've flipped them until the tops are golden. If serving another time, I find a toaster is the easiest way to get them nice and golden on the top and bottom but a broiler (overhead grill) works too.