Sourdough Discard Crumpets

Crumpets

• 1-2 tbsp unsalted butter, or butter substitute, divided
• 1 cup sourdough starter discard, cold or room temperature
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ⅜ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• Canola oil spray

Use a paper towel, a napkin, or your finger to grease the insides of 4 or 5 English muffin rings with the butter. Make sure the butter is spread evenly, but not too heavily. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter discard, sugar, baking soda, and salt. The batter will rise and bubble a bit, becoming almost billowy.

Heat an electric skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (around 150°C). Spray the surface with a bit of canola oil spray, then add a pat of butter to melt and sizzle.

Place 2 to 4 English muffin rings on the griddle close to the heat source. Use an extra large cookie scoop to portion out about 60ml of the batter into each ring. Don’t overfill the rings. Cook until the tops look dry and pockmarked with small bubbles, about 5 minutes.

Carefully flip the crumpets over, then remove the rings. Be careful, the rings are hot if you use your fingers. The rings should slide right off, but you might have to poke at the crumpets a bit to loosen them.

Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the crumpets to a plate.

Repeat with any remaining batter, re-greasing the rings and adding another pat of butter to the griddle if needed.

Serve the crumpets warm with butter and jam, or toast them to get even more crunch.

Crumpets can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for several days, or frozen in an airtight bag for longer storage.

Butter is only used to grease the rings and griddle, so a butter substitute makes this dairy-free and vegan.

No discard? Substitute a scant 1 cup of flour (114g) and ½ cup of warm water (118g) for the 1 cup of starter. The crumpets won’t have a subtle sourdough tang.

The nature of your starter determines how much baking soda and salt to use. Increase the salt to ½ tsp if the discard is weak, and increase the baking soda to ½ tsp if the starter is very sour. If unsure, use the lesser amount: too much baking soda gives a metallic taste, and too much salt makes them bitter.

You don’t have to use English muffin rings. Wide mouth canning jar bands also work, if greased very well on the inside. Without either, use the batter to make a free-form toaster pancake called spikelets. They won’t be as high or pocked with holes as crumpets, but they’re just as tasty.