Vegan crumpets are a cinch made with overnight sourdough batter. They're light, springy, chewy, and full of lovely holes to soak up butter. These easy, ample-sized griddle breads are ideal for your favorite breakfast toppings, afternoon tea, and saucy slider sandwiches.
Most crumpet lovers will tell you a generous slathering of butter and fruit jam are the ultimate way to go.
Fortunately, we've got you covered for vegan crumpets with Homemade Vegan Butter and a choice between Wild Guava Jam and the best Strawberry Jam made with roselle.
Jump to:
Why sourdough?
- Naturally vegan - no need for milk in the recipe.
- Overnight sourdough - works while you sleep making a fluffy batter.
- Tall rise - Sourdough reacts with baking soda for thick vegan crumpets.
- Delicious - Extra flavor, mild and tangy.
- Ready to cook - at breakfast with no wait time.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour works best for a tender crumb. We like organic and unbleached.
- Sourdough starter straight from the fridge or recently fed, either is fine.
- Agave syrup gives the overnight batter a jump start and something to feast on. Maple syrup or sugar can be substituted.
- Baking soda reacts with overnight sourdough to create loads of air pockets.
Equipment
You'll need molds to cook your skillet bread and you may already have something on hand. If not, The 15 Best Crumpet Rings of 2022 gives you a list to choose from.
These affordable Norpro non-stick silicone egg and pancake rings work beautifully too. The 4-inch size is just right for making 6 large crumpets.
Steps
Mix and ferment batter
Mix your batter before bed and let it sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
- Combine sourdough starter, flour, agave, and water.
- Mix to a smooth batter.
- Cover and ferment at room temperature.
- After 8 hours, the batter will have risen and be full of bubbles.
Next Morning
Baking soda reacts with the overnight sourdough batter and instantly boosts the airy dough to create even more bubbles. That's the secret to making vegan crumpets at home filled with those signature holes English tea time bread is known for.
- Dissolve baking soda and salt in water.
- Fold mixture into crumpet batter.
Cook
Sourdough vegan crumpets cook best at a low temperature but be sure to preheat your non-stick skillet before pouring the batter into cooking rings.
Thin English crumpets are often only cooked on the bottom side and toasted later. But we love to eat these fatties hot, straight out of the pan. So go ahead and lightly brown the second side if this sounds good to you.
- Pour recipe into baking rings.
- Cook until air pockets have formed and the surface is dry.
- Remove baking rings, flip and cook the second side.
- Cool on a baking rack.
Sourdough Starter
Since starters vary in thickness, you might be wondering whether yours is right for this recipe. If you maintain it at the standard 100 percent hydration, you're all set.
But if you don't, or are wondering what the heck a hydration level is, here is an easy guide to get your starter on point for the recipe.
100 percent hydration by weight
Feed your sourdough starter with equal weights of flour and water. For example, add 150 grams each of water and flour to ½ cup of starter.
100 percent hydration by volume
Feed ½ cup of starter with one cup of flour and ½ cup of water.
Fortunately, this easy crumpet mixture doesn't have to be as exact as other recipes. So, you'll be in good shape if you follow either of these two feeding methods before mixing your overnight sourdough.
Serving suggestions
Honestly, you can eat your vegan crumpets any way you choose. They are spongy, chewy, moist inside, and scrumptious with both sweet and savory toppings.
But just in case you might overlook some of our favorite ways to eat them, here is a short list of suggestions.
- Straight from the skillet and cooling rack, just as soon as you can handle them. Spread them with a thick layer of homemade butter and be sure to select the side with all the holes!
- Toasted whole, buttered, and topped with jam, passionfruit curd, or cinnamon sugar. We like to shave off a thin layer from the top before toasting so all that sweet goodness can nestle into the deepest nooks and crannies.
- At room temperature with cream cheese, red onion, tomato, and arugula on top.
- Sliced in half and warmed gently to make a bun for plant-based burgers and falafel sliders.
FAQ
Traditional English crumpets made with milk are not vegan. You can make dairy-free, vegan crumpets with plant-based milk. However, a sourdough recipe makes light, flavorful crumpets and eliminates the need for any milk at all.
Both crumpets and English muffins are round griddle breads with exaggerated holes inside, typically eaten at breakfast. However, English muffins are made from a thick bread-like dough that can be rolled and shaped. Crumpets have a loose batter that is poured into ring molds. Once cooked, they have deep pockets on the top surface, unlike English muffins that have a smooth exterior.
Yes. You can use recently fed starter or discard straight from the refrigerator. Both are fine for as long as they have been maintained at 100 percent hydration.
Expert tips
- Measure flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and drawing a flat-edged knife across the top to remove excess.
- Use sourdough starter fed at 100 percent hydration.
- Don't add salt and baking soda to the batter until just before cooking.
- Let batter sit 5 minutes after mixing but not longer.
- Preheat your non-stick skillet before adding cooking rings and pouring in crumpet batter.
- Keep the cooking temperature medium-low to low. You want crumpets to cook for 8 to 9 minutes on the first side before turning light brown.
- Place a lid over the skillet to produce steam while cooking.
- Cool crumpets completely if planning to slice in half.
More breakfast bread
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Crumpets - Overnight Sourdough
Equipment
- 6 crumpet rings or similar molds
- 1 non-stick skillet with a lid
Ingredients
Overnight batter
- 1 cup sourdough starter -100 percent hydration
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 TB agave, maple syrup, or raw sugar
- ¾ cup water
Morning leavening
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 TB water
Instructions
Overnight batter
- Place all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, agave syrup, and water in a mixing bowl with room for expansion.
- Stir well with a spoon to mix. Cover with a flat plate or lid and let ferment for 8-12 hours. The batter will form lots of bubbles and rise considerably.
Morning leaven
- Place salt and baking soda in a small dish. Add water and stir to dissolve.
- Pour baking soda mixture on top of crumpet batter and fold in lightly until uniform. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes while preheating the skillet.
Cook crumpets
- Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Lightly grease three crumpet rings and arrange them in the preheated skillet. (Note- you'll make the crumpets in two batches.)
- Pour in crumpet batter to about 1/16th inch below the rim. Don't overfill rings or they will spill over the top as the batter rises.
- Cover skillet with a lid and cook for 8-9 minutes until the bottom of crumpets are lightly browned. Lower the heat if they are browning too fast.
- Gently remove crumpet rings when the tops are full of holes and the surface appears dry.
- Flip crumpets and cook another 5-7 minutes until crumpets are cooked through to the middle. Repeat the process for cooking the last three crumpets.
Serve
- Transfer crumpets to a baking rack until they are cool enough to handle. Serve right away or later at room temperature. Crumpets can be eaten whole, toasted, warmed, and even sliced. See serving suggestions in the post for delicious ways to top or stuff them.
Store
- Store crumpets in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days. Or, wrap well and freeze crumpets for 1-2 months.
Notes
- Measure flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and drawing a flat-edged knife across the top to remove excess.
- Use sourdough starter fed at 100 percent hydration.
- Don't add salt and baking soda to the batter until just before cooking.
- Let batter sit 5 minutes after mixing but not longer.
- Preheat your non-stick skillet before adding cooking rings and pouring in crumpet batter.
- Keep the cooking temperature medium-low to low. You want the crumpets to cook for 8 to 9 minutes on the first side before turning light brown.
- Place a lid over the skillet to produce steam while cooking the crumpets.
- Cool crumpets completely if planning to slice in half.
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