Oops, just realised I wanted to share the crumpet recipe and hadn’t.  I’m only posting recipes here that are generally available on the internet – I’m not on commission – but I think that Dani’s book is so lovely everyone should buy a copy!

Time required:  50 minutes, plus 1 hour proving.

Makes: about 16

375 grams baker’s flour

1/2 teaspoon caster sugar

5 grams dried yeast

300 grams milk

200 grams warm water

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Place 1 tablespoon of the flour, the caster sugar, yeast and 100 grams of the milk into the TM bowl.  Set to mix for 5 minutes/37 degrees/speed 2.  The mixture should start to become frothy.

Add the remaining flour and milk, plus the warm water, egg and salt.  Mix for 10 seconds/speed 7 to form a thick batter.  If your batter looks more like bread mix, add a little more warm water, and mix again for 5 seconds/speed 7, until the consistency reaches that of a thick batter.  Then mix for a further 8 minutes/37 degrees/Speed 1.  

Leave the mixture in the TM bowl to prove for about 1 hour, or until it bubbles.

Once the mixture has proved, add the bicarbonate of soda and gradually increase the speed to beat for 2 minutes/speed 5.  

To cook the crumpets, oil 4 egg rings and a fry pan.  Place the rings in the pan and heat for a minute on medium to high, the turn down the heat a little.

Pour about 1.5 cm of batter into each ring and cook for 5 minutes, or until the surface has dried and is full of holes. You may need to play with the pan temperature to find the right balance between a golden base and plenty of bubbles.  If the pan is too hot, the bast starts to smell burnt before any bubbles have formed, and if it’s too cold, the surface slowly wrinkles rather than breaking into bubbles.  (You can also puncture a few holes with a skewer or chopstick for visual effect if you like).

When ready, lift off the rings and turn the crumpets to cook on the other side for a minute, or until golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Clean the rings, oil the rings and fry pan again, and repeat the process until all the batter has been used.

Serve the crumpets warm, with butter and your favourite topping.

In the unlikely event of leftovers, the crumpets can be layered with baking paper, frozen and toasted straight from the freezer.