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I tried making the crumpets from Raph's recipe but they didn't work. I used dried yeast as that was all I had. The batter didn't do much in the way of rising. Eventually I went ahead and cooked them and whilst they went 'holy' like crumpets are supposed to and they looked good, they were very heavy and stuggy. What puzzled me slightly was that there was no sugar in the recipe and I have always thought yeast needed sugar to activate it. Has anyone else tried the recipe yet? What about you, Helen? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks friends!

Thanks everyone, you've been a great help! I've got the munchies for some now after reading all of that...

Hi Mary, yes turn them over for a little while, lots of butter Mary when you eat them!!

Thanks Mary :-) I just noticed I made a mistake somewhere else!!

Hope the teeth come through soon Maria and you can get some sleep!

In that case I think I'll have a go at the recipe Ralph so kindly posted. It doesn't look too hard. Do you have to turn them over, Ralph? Or do you just cook the bottoms and then toast the tops like you do when you buy them?

Sorry Mary and Imogen, I confused the crumpets with scones must be the side effects of not getting any sleep due to a teething baby :-(

I can't find it either! :-(

Hi Maria. Could you tell me what page the crumpet recipe is on in Domestic Goddess as I can't find it. They may have slipped up and left it out of the index! I have made crumpets before and found them very tedious and they never tasted that good. But Nigella usually gets it right!

Hi Helen, Nigella has a wonderful recipe for crumpets in her How to be a Domestic Goddess book, I've made them and they are the best I've tasted and the best thing is that they take practically minutes to make. Let me know if you would like me to pass on the recipe.

This is a Gary Rhodes recipe;

You need - for 10-12:
450g of flour
1.5 sachets of easy blend yeast*
tsp salt
water as necessary
butter

* The yeast is very important in this recipe as it is what gives the crumpets those characteristic holes, so I may consider using 15g of fresh yeast. But dried yeast should be fine.

Sift the flour, salt, and yeast into a bowl. Gradually mix in enough water to make a batter with the consistency of thick glue or something. Cover it and stick it in the fridge for 20 mins for the yeast to activate and to rise a little.

In the meantime grease a few metal rings with the butter.
use a metal pastry cutter, or cook the crumpets in the smallest frying pan you have, well greased).

Once the batter has risen, put a pan with a thick base over a medium heat, and place the metal rings in it. Ladle in about 1/2 an inch of the batter, and watch as the crumpets take shape.
Remove the crumpets from the rings, and serve whilst still warm with whatever takes your fancy.

I know its not how to make them,but I love them too.When I was pregnant they where what I craved the most,just crumpets with butter(had to be butter mind ,not marge)Think I will go and have some now