English Pikelets (and Fruit Pikelets)

Close-up of pikelets on a plate with one on top with butter on it.

5 from 1 vote

English Pikelets (and Fruit Pikelets)

English pikelets make a great snack or breakfast option especially when paired with butter, jam or golden syrup. This easy recipe for pikelets can be used to make crumpets and currants can be added to make fruit pikelets, which are popular in Staffordshire.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Resting time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: British, English, Midlands, West Midlands

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

1 Griddle pan or frying pan

Ingredients

150 ml Whole milk (full-fat)
150 ml Water
125 g Strong bread flour
100 g Plain flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon Fast-action dried yeast
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon White sugar
½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda (not baking powder))
90 g Currants (optional)
A little butter - for greasing the pan

Instructions

Mix the milk and water together and heat to lukewarm either in a saucepan or in the microwave.
Put the flour, sugar and yeast into a large mixing bowl and add around ¼ of the liquid.
Use a balloon whisk to mix the ingredients together, gradually adding the rest of the liquid. Stir until smooth.
Cover and leave for 1-2 hours until bubbly. The exact time needed will depend how warm your kitchen is. Expect it to take a shorter length of time on hot days and longer on cooler days.
Add the salt and bicarbonate of soda (sieve it in). Mix in, then stir through the currants (if using).
Grease your griddle pan (or frying pan) very lightly with butter and place it over medium-high heat.
When it's hot spoon around 1.5 tablespoons of batter into the pan, spreading it slightly with the back of a spoon. Repeat to allow yourself to cook 3 or 4 pikelets at a time depending on the size of your pan.
Let the pikelets cook, without turning them over, until the batter dries up. You might want to burst the bubbles that form using a cocktail stick.
Once the batter looks dry on the top carefully flip the pikelets over and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden before removing them from the pan.
Repeat steps 6-9 until all of the batter is used up.

Notes

Salt inhibits the activation of the yeast, so it is important not to add it into the batter until you are ready to begin cooking.
Similarly, the baking soda must not be added until the point of cooking because it activates immediately. If left to sit around in the batter the baking soda will lose its effectiveness and your pikelets will have less holes.
Test the heat of the pan by cooking just one pikelet to begin with. The pikelets will need to be cooked for around 4-5 minutes before the batter dries out and they are ready to be flipped over. If the bottom of the pikelet burns as it cooks undisturbed then the heat is too high and needs to be lowered slightly before more are cooked.
Keep the cooked pikelets warm by placing them on a warmed plate and covering lightly with foil before putting them into a warm (not hot) oven.
Make the batter in advance - once mixed cover and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 2 hours before adding in the bicarbonate of soda and salt, then proceed to cook.

How to make crumpets instead

Butter your crumpet rings and spoon around 3 tablespoons of the batter into each ring (it should be around halfway up). Cook, undisturbed, until the batter is dry on the top (again, you can pop the bubbles if you want to). When the batter is dry carefully remove the rings and turn the crumpets over then cook then for a further 1-2 minutes until golden. The recipe listed will make approximately 6 crumpets.

Storage instructions

These pikelets will stay fresh for 48 hours if stored in an airtight container. Reheat in the toaster for 1-2 minutes.

They can be frozen. Transfer them straight from the freezer to the toaster and cook on medium heat for around 3 minutes until crisp and warmed through.

Nutrition