One of the perks of having a sourdough starter is that you can use it to make much more than just bread! Among other things, I have tried to use it to make crumpets, a traditionally British pastry that offers a fun alternative to pancakes. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Laurie Black's New Home Cooking.
If you don't have starter on hand or just decided this morning to make these, no worries! You can simply use 2 teaspoons of dried yeast instead, and let the batter rest in a warm area for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the batter expands to double it's original volume.
2 1/2 cups of organic all-purpose flour
1/3 cups of starter (or 2 teaspoons of dried yeast)
350 ml of milk
1 tablespoon of butter
2 teaspoons of sugar
Pinch of salt
Dissolve sugar and melt butter in the milk in a small saucepan on medium heat.
Cool this mixture to room temperature.
Mix flour and salt, then add milk and starer.
Cover batter and rest at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours. I personally leave it overnight to rest (only if it's not too hot) because timing wise, it's easier to prepare the batter right before the night before so that it is ready to go come morning. HOWEVER, I do realize that milk should not be left too long at room temperature, unless you want to make cheese (I'll have another recipe for that soon!). You can still prepare everything the night before, place in the fridge and then only take it out an hour or so before making your crumpets. It's all about time management!
Melt a small amount of butter in your favorite frying pan (I use a cast iron skillet) and drop dollops of batter, making sure they don't touch, and turn once small air bubbles start appearing on the surface.
Serve warm with maple syrup, and enjoy!
