As my flatmate will testify, I love butter. On toast and sarnies, to sauté veg, to make pastry or Welsh cakes, it enriches my life as well as my dishes. Don’t worry, I do eat and use it in moderation, which makes it all the more glorious when I eat it. And, I can think of few more divine places to eat butter than on a pikelet or crumpet. Melted drops of salty golden butter hidden in the holes that dribble down your chin as you bite into it, those Victorian ladies and their high teas with crumpets had the right idea.
Now, I’ve eaten my fair share of crumpets, and growing up they were somewhat of a staple, but my Nannie Gwen always called them pikelets, never crumpets. I thought it was just one of those old fashioned words, such as saying ‘reckon’ for ‘add up’, or one of those South Wales expressions, such as ‘daps’ instead of ‘plimsolls,’ until I was a bit older and learned that pikelets were different – flatter and wider than a crumpet as left to free form rather than being cooked in a metal ring.
A little bit of research informed me that pikelets are in fact Welsh in origin, even the word. According to Collins, the word pikelet is of 18th century origin and comes from the Welsh, bara pyglyd, or pitchy bread. It sort of makes sense, as bakestone cookery has always been popular in Wales.
Thinking of it, not that my Nan spoke Welsh, but perhaps this is why she had always known them as pikelets, which she always served dripping in butter (I wonder where I get it from). Here’s my version for you to try.
INGREDIENTS
500g plain flour (although strong white or self-raising will work if it’s all you have in the cupboard)
7g yeast
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
350ml warm milk
250ml warm water
2tbsp oil
Makes 15-18
METHOD
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the milk, water and oil and whisk well for a few minutes until the batter is smooth and well combined.
3. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1.5 hours or until it has doubled in size and looks bubbly.
4. Knock back with a spoon, cover again and leave for a further 30 minutes.
5. Heat a bakestone or heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat. When hot, drop ladlefuls of the mix on the hot surface. They will expand slightly to form rough circles about 10cm in diameter (or about the size of a roll of sticky tape).
6. Allow to cook slowly (around 3-5 minutes) until the top is dry and full of holes. Flip over to gently brown the tops.
7. Eat hot off the bakestone with lashings of salty butter or reheat later using a toaster.
They’re great just with butter, but I also love sweet ones sandwiched together with jam, or use them as a base instead of English muffins for eggs Benedict or piled high with bacon.
Let me know how you get on by dropping me a line or using #RecipesByRoss
