The key difference between crumpets and English muffins is that the crumpets are made from a batter while the English muffins are made from a dough.
Crumpets and English muffins are small, round, and sweetened bread with a British origin. Both of them are griddle-cakes, i.e., they are made on the stove top in a cast-iron griddle pan. However, crumpets have a spongy texture with holes on top while English muffins are comparatively thicker and denser with a more bready texture.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Crumpets
3. What are English Muffins
4. Similarities Between Crumpets and English Muffins
5. Side by Side Comparison – Crumpets vs English Muffins in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What are Crumpets?
Crumpet is a round, soft and unsweetened bread that looks like a muffin. It is a type of griddle cake and a traditional British teatime treat. They originated in the 17th century as thin pancakes made from flour, egg base and milk. The crumpets we see today were probably developed later, with the addition of yeast and baking powder to the recipe.
Figure 01: Crumpet Peanut Butter and Vegemite
Traditionally, making crumpets involve pouring the mixture onto a griddle and baking on only one side. This leaves the other side with a moist, sponge-like top with distinctive nooks and crannies. You have to toast and butter the crumpets before serving. You can also top it with a poached egg or a slice of bacon. If not, you can smear honey or jam on the top.
What are English Muffins?
English muffin refers to small, round, flat yeast-leavened bread, which is commonly sliced horizontally, toasted, and buttered. Name ‘English muffins’ is a misnomer; In UK, they are simply called muffins. In the US, they are called English muffins to distinguish from U.S. muffins, which are larger and sweeter.
Figure 02: English Muffin with Butter and Jam
English muffins are thicker than crumpets and has a denser texture as well. To make English muffins, you have to mix flour, yeast, milk, butter, and salt together and knead into a firm dough. Then you have to roll it to make small balls and cook them on a griddle. You have to cook them on both sides until they become golden in colour. You can also coat the muffins with semolina powder to prevent them from sticking atop the griddle. Moreover, they are always cut in half before serving.
What are the Similarities Between Crumpets and English Muffins?
- Crumpets and English muffins are small, round, unsweetened breads.
- They are round and generally biscuit-sized.
- They are griddle-cakes, meaning, they are cooked on the stovetop in a cast-iron griddle pan.
- Both are eaten as breakfast, brunch, or tea food, but not as dinner.
What is the Difference Between Crumpets and English Muffins?
Crumpets are made from a batter while English muffins are made from a dough. This is the main difference between crumpets and English muffins. Moreover, there are differences in the cooking techniques as well the texture too. You only cook one side of the crumpets, so the bottom is flat and cooked while the top is speckled with holes, which can absorb butter. However, English muffin recipe involves toasting both sides. Thus, crumpets have a spongy texture with nooks and crannies on top while English muffins have a more bready texture. While cooking, English muffins are coated with semolina powder whereas crumpets are not. Moreover, you have to splice English muffins in half before eating, but not crumpets.
Summary – Crumpets vs English Muffins
Crumpets and English muffins are small, round sweetened bread with a British origin. The main difference between crumpets and English muffins is that the crumpets are made from a batter while the English muffins are made from a firm dough. They both differ in the cooking techniques and texture too.
Image Courtesy:
1.’6972310767′ by DAVID HOLT (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr
2.’4269545777′ by Stacy Spensley (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
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