Step 1

The day before, put the flour, yeast and salt into a mixing bowl and stir together. Slowly pour in the milk and 75g water, stirring with a fork, to create a loose dough. Don’t worry if it’s a little lumpy, but make sure there are no dry patches of flour. Cover the bowl and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge.

Step 2

The next morning, remove from the fridge and leave in a warm place for 30-45 minutes – an airing cupboard is ideal – until bubbly and well risen. Have a set of 4 x 8.5cm crumpet rings ready.

Step 3

Once risen, place as many crumpet rings into a large frying pan as can comfortably fit, then brush the insides and base of the pan with melted butter. Place the pan over a medium heat until the butter sizzles gently. Spoon enough batter into each crumpet ring to come just under halfway up the sides – if they’re too full they won’t cook properly. The mixture will be quite stretchy – if you can’t get it to even out on top, use a wet finger to smooth it out.

Step 4

Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the top has lost all moisture. You should see the characteristic crumpet bubbles forming on the surface – they will mostly pop on their own but to give them a helping hand, use a skewer if you like.

Step 5

Once dried out on top, carefully remove the rings with a tea towel, and flip the crumpets. Cook for 5-6 minutes more on the underside until dark golden, then remove to a cooling rack and repeat until all the mixture is used. Serve immediately, or cool, keep for up to 3 days and toast to reheat.