Sourdough Discard Crumpets (Proper Holes, Every Time)

Crumpets are the most overlooked discard recipe. Twenty-five minutes from start to a stack of properly hole-y, soft, buttery crumpets that beats anything in a packet. The trick is the right batter consistency, the right pan heat, and the right rings — get those three sorted and you'll never buy crumpets again. Tested across countless bakes in our kitchen.

The recipe

Ingredient	Weight / Volume
Sourdough discard	200g
Whole milk (warm, ~30°C)	200g
Plain flour (if needed for thickening)	up to 30g
Caster sugar	1 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda	1 tsp
Fine sea salt	½ tsp
Butter (for greasing pan and rings)	—

Makes 6–8 crumpets, depending on ring size.

The three details that make great crumpets

1. Batter consistency

The batter should be the consistency of double cream — pourable, but thick enough to hold its shape briefly when you drop a spoonful onto the pan. Too thin and you get pancakes. Too thick and you get spongy bread.

If your discard is thin (lots of water), don't add milk yet — start with 150g milk and adjust. If your discard is thick, you may need 200g milk plus another 30g flour.

2. The bubble window

The signature crumpet hole pattern only forms during a specific 4–5 minute window of cooking. The bubbles you see rising and bursting on the surface ARE the holes — they're the signature crumpet feature. If they're not forming, your pan isn't hot enough or the batter is wrong.

3. Cooking on low-medium heat

Counter-intuitive: crumpets need lower heat than pancakes, not higher. The slow heat lets the bubbles form and burst before the surface sets. High heat sets the surface before the bubbles can break through, giving you smooth-topped, hole-less crumpets.

Method

1. Whisk the batter

In a bowl, whisk together the discard and warm milk. Add the sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Whisk smooth.

The batter should already start to bubble — that's the bicarb reacting with the discard's acid. That's the leavening you need.

2. Rest 10 minutes

Cover and rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. The batter will visibly bubble during this time. The longer rest develops more bubbles in the finished crumpet.

If the batter looks too thin after resting, whisk in a tablespoon of flour at a time until it's the right consistency (thick double cream).

3. Heat the pan

Set a non-stick or well-seasoned heavy frying pan over low-medium heat. Grease lightly with butter. Place 4 crumpet rings (or 7cm metal cookie cutters) in the pan. Grease the inside of each ring with butter — important, otherwise the crumpets stick.

The pan should be warm, not hot. To test: dropped batter should sizzle gently, not aggressively.

4. Fill the rings

Spoon batter into each ring to fill three-quarters of the height (about 1.5cm deep). Don't overfill — they'll grow as they cook.

5. Cook for 6 minutes

Cook over low-medium heat for 6 minutes without disturbing. During this time:

• The first minute: nothing visible.
• Minutes 2–3: small bubbles appear on the surface.
• Minutes 4–5: bubbles grow, burst, leave open holes.
• Minute 6: the top has set with the holes locked in place.

If the surface still has wet patches at 6 minutes, give it another minute. Don't flip yet.

6. Remove rings and flip

Carefully remove the rings (use tongs — they'll be hot). Flip each crumpet and cook the second side for 2 minutes — just to lightly colour the top.

Slide off onto a plate. Serve warm immediately, or cool and toast later.

The right rings

Crumpet rings are 7–8cm metal rings, around 2cm tall. You can buy proper crumpet rings (£8 for a set of 4) or use:

• Metal cookie cutters — 7cm round, deep ones. The most common DIY option.
• Pastry cutters — same as cookie cutters.
• Tin can rings — clean, sanded edges of cat-food or tomato cans (about 7cm). The lazy student version. Functional.

Don't use silicone rings — they don't conduct heat properly, and the crumpets cook unevenly.

How crumpets should look and feel

• Top: riddled with deep holes, golden-brown, slightly domed.
• Bottom: deep golden-brown from pan contact, smooth.
• Texture: spongy, soft, with the holes visible through the body of the crumpet.
• Flavour: mildly tangy from the discard, slightly sweet, with a subtle yeasty character.

The toasting trick

Crumpets are best toasted before eating, even when fresh. The toaster crisps the holes, giving you that signature texture where butter pools into the spongey body. Method:

1. Cool the crumpets fully on a rack.
2. Toast them on the highest setting until the holes are crispy.
3. Generous butter on top — it should melt into the holes immediately.
4. Eat while hot.

Toppings beyond butter

Butter is the classic, but other toppings work brilliantly:

• Marmite: with butter, a thin scrape of Marmite. The most British option.
• Honey: drizzled over hot buttered crumpets.
• Jam: raspberry or strawberry, on top of butter.
• Cheese: grated cheddar melted under the grill.
• Smoked salmon: with cream cheese and dill, posh canapé style.
• Egg: a soft poached egg on a hot buttered crumpet — restaurant breakfast.
• Smashed avocado: the modern take.
• Bacon: crispy bacon on hot buttered crumpets — surprisingly good.

Common problems

No holes: batter too thick, or pan too hot. Thin the batter slightly; lower the heat.

Crumpets are flat and dense: bicarb is old, or batter wasn't allowed to rest long enough. Replace bicarb if it's been open more than 6 months.

Crumpets stick to the rings: not enough butter on the rings. Grease both inside and out.

Crumpets too gooey in the centre: didn't cook long enough. Stick a skewer in — should come out almost clean.

Crumpets burnt on the bottom: heat too high. Reduce to lowest medium.

Storage

• Same day: stack on a plate, no covering needed.
• Airtight container: 3 days at room temperature.
• Fridge: 5 days. Toast before eating.
• Freezer: 3 months. Toast straight from frozen.

FAQ

What's the difference between crumpets and pikelets?

Crumpets have rings — they're tall, thick, and have the signature deep holes. Pikelets are made without rings — flatter, more pancake-like, with smaller holes. Same batter, different cooking method.

Why does my batter not have bubbles?

Probably old bicarbonate of soda. Bicarb loses potency over 6 months. Replace it.

Can I make these without bicarb?

You can use 1 teaspoon of dried yeast instead — the batter needs to rest for 30 minutes to activate. Different texture, also good.

How big should the rings be?

7–8cm in diameter, 2cm tall. Bigger rings make crumpets that don't cook through; smaller rings make them too thick.

What's the best fat for cooking?

Butter for flavour, but the milk solids burn at the slow heat. A neutral oil (rapeseed, vegetable) works better for cooking; brush butter on after.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Yes — use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The discard contains gluten, so not suitable for coeliacs.

Why are some crumpets bigger than others?

Different rings or uneven batter portions. Use a measuring spoon for consistency.

The crumpet vs the English muffin

Easy to confuse, but they're different things:

• Crumpet: made from batter (pourable). Has signature deep holes on top. Spongy, slightly tangy. Toasted before eating.
• English muffin: made from dough (kneadable). Has nooks and crannies inside (split horizontally). Bread-like texture.

Both are perfect with butter; they suit different toppings.

The economics

A pack of 6 supermarket crumpets costs £1–1.50. This recipe produces 6–8 crumpets for about 30p in ingredients — half the cost — and they're noticeably better. Across a year of weekly batches, you save around £30, eat better crumpets, and use up discard.

Why discard crumpets are particularly worth making

Two reasons. First, the recipe scales perfectly to a single week's discard — no calculation needed, no leftover ingredients. Second, the discard fundamentally transforms the crumpet. Standard crumpet recipes use commercial yeast and milk; the discard version has the depth that yeast-only versions lack.

Side-by-side with shop-bought crumpets, the homemade version isn't even a competition. The supermarket ones are basically textured sponges; the homemade ones are properly flavoured, properly hole-y, with subtle tang and crisp toasted holes.

Crumpets for breakfast and beyond

Crumpets are mostly a breakfast and tea food, but they work well in less obvious places:

• Crumpet pizza: tomato sauce, cheese, basil, grilled. Quick weeknight kids' dinner.
• Crumpet eggs Benedict: replace the muffin with a crumpet for a more textured base.
• Cheese on crumpet: like cheese on toast, but better — the holes hold melted cheese.
• Sticky toffee crumpets: warm crumpets with butterscotch sauce and clotted cream — pudding territory.

The Sunday breakfast routine

Of all the discard recipes, this is the one that fits Sunday breakfast best. Mix on Saturday night, leave the batter in the fridge to develop overnight, cook on Sunday morning while the kettle boils. Three crumpets each, lots of butter, strong tea, the Sunday papers. About as good as a weekend morning gets — especially if it's still in pyjamas, with the rain hitting the window.

The British crumpet tradition

Crumpets are uniquely British, traceable to the 17th century where they evolved from "hot-cake" griddle breads in the West Country. The name comes from the Welsh "crempog," meaning pancake. The signature hole structure was perfected in the 19th century when bakers settled on the right combination of yeast, bicarbonate of soda, and slow cooking.

Industrial production from the 1950s onwards turned crumpets into a national breakfast staple, but the supermarket versions are mostly a textured sponge — vaguely crumpet-shaped, but lacking the proper hole structure and flavour of the real thing. The home discard version is much closer to the original 19th-century baker's crumpet.

Two extra variations

Wholemeal crumpets

Replace 50g of the discard with 50g of wholemeal flour mixed with 50g milk to make a paste. Add this to the batter. Slightly nuttier flavour, slightly denser texture. Excellent for cheese and savoury toppings.

Spiced honey crumpets

Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to the batter. Brush with honey-butter (1 tablespoon honey mixed into 30g melted butter) after toasting. Christmas-morning territory.

The pikelet alternative

If you don't have crumpet rings, the same batter makes excellent pikelets. Just pour spoonfuls of batter onto the buttered pan without rings. They spread to about 8cm across, cook in 4 minutes total, and have small but visible holes. Less dramatic than crumpets but faster. Worth knowing as the no-equipment version.