What Is The Difference Between English Muffins And Crumpets?

When it's time for breakfast, you might fry up some bacon and eggs or boil water for a bowl of oatmeal. But one variety of food is almost always going to be found on the table: bread. Breakfast breads can be the perfect tool for sopping up a runny yolk. They can also be enjoyed plain, alongside a piping hot cup of coffee or tea. Regardless of how your bread is buttered, so to speak, these carbohydrates are a great way to round out your breakfast.

Of course, we are all familiar with toast and its many variations. But have you ever heard of decadent flattened croissant toast? This unique recipe showcases the way that familiar foods, such as croissants, can be used in untraditional ways. On the other hand, you can stick to familiar favorites. If you like a savory, bread-filled breakfast, there is always the option of having biscuits and gravy. 

Other common types of breakfast bread include English muffins and crumpets. Despite having similar appearances, there are many differences between these two foods, and they are used in distinct sets of dishes.

In England, English muffins are just called muffins. Despite this, this type of breakfast bread was not invented in England. The creator of English muffins, Samuel Bath Thomas, was born in England but didn't invent the baked good until he moved to the United States. There, he started making his own version of the crumpet during the late 1800s. Thomas' English muffins became popular and can still be found in stores today. Because of this, crumpets could be considered more authentically British than English muffins. At the very least, crumpets are much older. There are records of the food dating back to the 1600s. 

But English backgrounds aren't the only thing that crumpets and English muffins have in common. Both of the breads are round, smallish, and covered in holes. Additionally, both foods are cooked using a griddle.

On top of similarities in preparation and appearance, both foods are made from somewhat similar doughs. Both doughs are created using comparable ingredients — aside from the fact that baking soda and milk are often used in crumpets but they are not always added to English muffins. Also, crumpets are made from a loose batter and English muffins are made from a firm dough. These different doughs create distinct textures after baking. English muffins end up more like bread, while crumpets end up with a more chewy texture.

Arguably the most important difference between English muffins and crumpets comes about during the baking process. While an English muffin is subjected to a thorough griddling, crumpets are only cooked on one side, leaving half of every crumpet soft and spongy. The resulting bread somewhat resembles an uncooked pancake. The crumpet's myriad craters are left exposed, whereas an English muffin's crevices are hidden inside its exterior crust.

Once you've pulled your English muffins and crumpets from the stovetop, and it's time to eat, the two breads can also be told apart by how they are served. Crumpets are eaten whole, directly smothered with butter and jam. But thick, bready English muffins are sliced in half before being used in savory dishes like the indulgent brunch staple eggs Benedict. There are quite a few differences between English muffins and crumpets, but you shouldn't feel too bad about getting them confused.