During my time at home, my Dad made his favorite recipe for Sourdough Discard Crumpets from King Arthur Flour.  The recipe is so simple and the results are so good!  Perfect little activity to use up that sourdough starter discard and prevent it from going to waste.

The recipe calls for 1 cup of discard, which you can collect over the course of a few days if you keep a smaller starter.  My Dad actually used ½ cup of starter with ½ cup flour and ½ cup water, which worked great as well.  The only other ingredients you need are some salt (1/2 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), and some baking soda (1/2 tsp), and you are well on your way to delightful crumpets!  Simply mix all of the ingredients together and you’re off.

This recipe works similarly to my recipe for Sourdough Discard Waffles, where the crumpets get their lift and bubbles from the reaction of the acid in the sourdough starter to the base of the sodium bicarbonate in the baking soda.  This reaction produces bubbles and rises very quickly, similar to the classic science experiment of mixing baking soda with vinegar to make a volcano or a little rocket.  Because the reaction is so quick, it’s best to cook these right away to capture as much of the bubbles as possible.  Otherwise, the batter will slowly deflate, and you’ll be left with denser crumpets that lack the signature, bubbly top.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you cook these little guys on a skillet or griddle top, and not in the oven.  It’s like making pancakes, which means no need to turn on the hot oven in the middle of summer.  Key tip: it is important to use a ring mold of some form to keep them perfectly round and keep them in the shape of a bun while they cook.  If you skip this step (like I did when I made them again this week), you’ll be left with unsweet pancakes, which are fine, but are also not crumpets.  If you don’t have the specific molds, metal biscuit/cookie cutters will work, or be like my Dad and make rings out of the tops of disposable paper coffee to-go cups.  Works like a charm.

Pictures from my crumpet making adventure below, and the link to the recipe is here.  Give this a try if you are looking for an easy and satisfying way to use up that sourdough starter discard.  As for toppings, we were fancy and topped ours with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and sour cream – but anything from straight butter or jam to peanut butter and bananas would be delicious!

Happy Baking!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•