Welsh Crempog (Crempogau)

Today’s recipe for Crempogau, or more correctly Crempog Furum, are based on an old recipe from the 1800’s and one that uses yeast. 

Welsh Crumpets (Pancakes) for St David’s Day

Today’s recipe for Crempogau, or more correctly Crempog Furum, are based on an old recipe from the 1800’s and one that uses yeast. Traditionally served warm and spread with butter and treacle, I’ve used golden syrup instead.

Welsh Crempog (Crempogau) are Welsh pancakes, which are similar to pikelets and crumpets, and are traditionally served on birthdays, St David’s day, Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and also on Bonfire Night on the 5th November.

Most modern recipes for Welsh Crempog (Crempogau) use bicarbonate of soda as the raising agent, but older recipes use yeast, as I have today, which results in a thicker pancake with fewer “holes”, which resembles a crumpet more than a pancake.

As soon as they are cooked, traditionally on a bakedstone, (also known as a planc in Wales, or a griddle and girdle in England and Scotland) they are sprinkled with sugar for immediate eating, or, they are spread with butter, covered and kept warm in the oven before serving warm with the sugar sprinkled on afterwards.

They are also delicious when served cold with butter, jam and/or syrup.

What’s in a Name?

Crempog, crempgau, Welsh light cakes, Ffroes, Pikelets, hot cakes, pancakes, gridle cakes, griddle cakes, crempog burum, Welsh crumpets, or just drop or dropped scones, so what’s in a name?

Each of the above is very regional, to Wales and the rest of the UK. My husband was born and grew up in Yorkshire, and he calls what I would think of as crumpets, piklelets.

And, within Wales, there are many names for today’s recipe for Welsh Crempog (Crempogau), which they are more commonly known as in North Wales, where I live.

If we look at some of the names for these pancake type crumpets, you can see there is common etymology that links many of them. For example, Ffroes, which is another word for today’s Welsh Crempog (Crempogau) recipe, is thought to come from the Old English (Norman) name for Froise, which were deep fried pancakes.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that the word Crempog, is also linked to the Old English word for a “curled up pancake” which was called a Crompeht, the word crompeht meaning “crumpled”.

And, in within Wales, there are many names for today’s recipe for Welsh Crempog (Crempogau), as I will share below, taken from the Welsh Fare website.

Welsh Variations on the Welsh Crempog (Crempogau)

• Cramwythen – plural Cramoth (parts of Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan)
• Crempog – plural – Crempogau (in the counties of north Wales, generally)
• Ffroesen – plural – Ffroes (parts of Glamorgan)
• Poncagen – plural – Poncagau (parts of Cardiganshire)
• Pancogen – plural – Pancocs (part of Pembrokeshire)
• Pancosen – plural – Pancos (parts of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire)

Notes on Cooking Welsh Crempog (Crempogau)

• To eat warm later, spread each crempog with a little butter, and layer them in a heatproof dish, cover, and keep warm in the oven at about 120C/250F.
• To eat immediately, as they are cooked, pile them onto a warm plate, then sprinkle them with caster sugar, and let everyone butter them before drizzling Golden Syrup over them.
• These freeze well and can be re-heated in the microwave, although they are also nice served cold with butter and jam.
• You can make these in crumpet rings for a neater shape. They would then be called Crempog Burum.
• If you don’t have any yeast or sourdough starter discard, then add an extra teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, and proceed as in step 1 in the recipe card at the end of this post.
• The batter, whether you use yeast or not, is always better if it has been standing for a couple of hours, or it has been in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
• The traditional way to serve these is with butter and black treacle.

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About St David’s Day

There are plenty of stories about Saint David (Dewi Sant in Welsh), though it can be hard to separate legend from fact. He’s reputed to have travelled widely, with some saying he made it all the way to Jerusalem where he became an archbishop.

He eventually established a strict religious community in what is now St Davids in south-west Pembrokeshire and became known both for his pious austerity and his ability to perform miracles.

Most famously, he is said to have caused the ground to rise up beneath his feet while preaching at Llandewi Brefi, so that all in the audience could hear his sermon. (Taken from Visit Wales)

Welsh Recipes on Lavender & Lovage

• Welsh Cawl (Lamb & Vegetable Stew)
• Leek & Chicken Casserole with Baked Dumplings
• Welsh Onion Cake
• Anglesey Eggs (Ŵyau Ynys Môn)

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• Traditional Welsh Cakes
• Teisen Lap Welsh Cake
• Welsh Shearing Cake (Cacen Gneifo)
• Traditional “Bara Brith” Tea Loaf

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Recipe for Welsh Crempog (Crempogau)