Pikelets
Submitted by azalea66
Traditional British pikelets made from a yeasted batter cooked on a hot griddle. Like crumpets without the ring, with a bubbly surface that soaks up butter and honey.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
COOK
30READY
Pikelets are the rustic, free-form cousin of the crumpet. A yeasted batter of flour, milk, egg, and butter rises for up to 90 minutes until thick and bubbly, then gets ladled onto a hot griddle where each one spreads into a small, irregular round with a surface full of holes.
Those holes are the whole point. Created by the yeast’s carbon dioxide escaping through the batter as it cooks, they form tiny craters on the surface that trap melted butter, honey, or preserves in every bite.
Cooking on a bakestone (or heavy griddle) greased with lard gives the pikelets a golden, slightly crispy exterior. The lard test is reliable: when a drop of water sputters on the surface, the temperature is right. Too cool and the pikelets spread thin. Too hot and the bottoms burn before the tops set.
Flip when bubbles break the surface and the underside is pale gold. The second side cooks faster and should reach a honey color.
Kitchen Tips
- Beat the batter well after combining. Good gluten development gives the pikelets their chewy texture.
- Keep finished pikelets warm wrapped in a cloth in a low oven. They cool and stiffen fast.
- The batter is thicker than pancake batter. It should pour in a mound, not spread into a thin disc.
Variations
- Sweet breakfast: Serve hot with butter and jam or drizzled with maple syrup for a classic morning treat.
- Savory pikelets: Top with cream cheese and smoked salmon for a brunch appetizer.
- Welsh cakes style: Add dried currants or raisins to the batter for a fruit-studded version.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift the flour and salt into a warm bowl.
Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in the warm water.
Melt the butter in the warm milk and beat in the egg.
Stir the yeast liquid and then the milk mixture into the flour.
Mix into a smooth batter and beat well.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until the batter is thick and bubbling.
Warm the bakestone and grease with a piece of lard on a fork (use a piece of fat back if you’re short of lard).
When a drop of water sputters on the bakestone, it’s hot enough.
Stir the batter, then use a ladle or a jug to pour it onto the bakestone in round puddles, leaving space in between so that the pikelets will be easy to turn.
The yeast batter will not spread as much as pancake batter.
Cook over a moderate heat until bubbles break the top surface and the underneath is pale gold.
Flip over the pikelets and cook the other side until honey-colored.
Keep wach batch warm in a folded cloth in a low oven.
Serve with butter, honey or preserves, or for a savory dish, with cream cheese or grilled bacon, or little sausages.
To reheat, crisp under the grill.
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