Pikelets (Bara Pyglyd)
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Welcome to Bara Pyglyd - an authentic Welsh hearth-baked, yeast-leavened, griddle bread. By the way, it's pronounced: "Barra Pig-Lid"
"Hang on", I can hear you say, "Aren't these just crumpets by another name?"
Certainly not. The crumpet is fashioned from similar ingredients but is entirely dependent on bicarbonate of soda to generate a rise.
The Bara Pyglyd or 'Pitchy Bread' ('dark' bread - as in the colour of pitch, due to their griddle baking) is a Welsh bake that predates the crumpet by some distance. It was originally made on a griddle suspended over a fire in the hearth or on the stones of the hearth in front of the fire. .
In more modern times, the Bara Pyglyd has evolved into a pancake batter mix, combining yeast with baking soda. However, our recipe here, today, is the 17th-century original and authentic pikelet made using yeast as a leavening agent.
So, where did it all begin?
The Bara Pyglyd originates from 17th-century Wales. It was taken to the West Midlands, where the name was anglicised to 'picklet,' which became 'pikelet'. Their popularity initially extended to Cheshire and Yorkshire, and was later adopted by Australians and New Zealanders, where it became a small sweet pancake sometimes called a 'baby pancake' or, erroneously, a drop scone, which is something entirely different in Wales.
Pikelets are free-formed, not baked in a ring as one does with crumpets. They are thinner than crumpets and slightly sweeter.
Back in the 17th century, barm would have been used as a leavening agent. However, they are now made using baker's yeast.
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| A traditional Welsh cottage hearth INGREDIENTS 450 gms strong white bread flour 300 gms tepid milk 300 gms tepid water 10 gms fine sea salt 5 gms sugar 30 gms vegetable or olive oil 7 gms instant active yeast METHOD Warm the flour for 5 minutes in an oven preheated to 110⁰C (230⁰F) Warm the oil, milk and water together to tepid and add the sugar. Add the yeast to the flour and stir it in well. Add the salt to the flour and stir it in well. Slowly add the liquid mixture and beat until you have a batter. Continue beating until very smooth.  Cover and leave at room temperature until it has risen well up the bowl and is covered with bubbles. This may take between one and two hours.  Knock it back with a spoon, cover and leave for about 30 minutes in a warm place. By then, it will have recovered and be ready for cooking. Preheat a griddle or frying pan to moderate heat and lightly grease it. Take a large spoonful at a time and add to the pan. You should be able to put two or three pikelets in the pan at once. The 'holes' appear quickly. Bake until both sides are a pale brown colour.  Cool on a rack.  SERVING
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 POSTSCRIPT Fancy exploring the world of the crumpet? |
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