Crempog or Crempogau (Traditional Welsh Pancakes)

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With St. David’s Day and Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) falling on the same day this year, there’s no better time to discover crempog, or crempogau – traditional Welsh pancakes, also known as ‘ffroes’.

Thicker than the traditional British pancake or French crepe, and bigger than a Scotch pancake or pikelet, Welsh ‘crempog’ or ‘crempogau’ pancakes are more akin to their fat, fluffy American counterparts.

They’re a must on Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day), and especially so this year, as it falls on the Welsh patron saint day, St. David’s Day. Years ago, crempogau would also be eaten as a birthday treat and on special occasions, including Bonfire Night.

What are crempog, or crempogau?

Crempog, or crempogau as they are known in plural form, are traditional Welsh pancakes, originally prepared on an old bake stone or ‘planc’ fashioned from stone or cast iron, known as a griddle in England and a girdle in Scotland.

Today, it’s more common for crempogau to be cooked in cast iron skillets or non-stick frying pans. However, if you’re keen to get your hands on a traditional Welsh bake stone, you can buy Kitchencraft’s Traditional Welsh Bakestone via Amazon. This is the bakestone that I use to prepare some of my favourite traditional Welsh food, including traditional Welsh cakes.

Alternatively, you might prefer to invest in a purpose-built pancake pan, or even a mini pancake pan.

While crempog recipes vary, with many families putting their own twist on the classic Welsh pancake, common ingredients include butter, flour, sugar, yeast, vinegar and buttermilk, with some recipes calling also calling for oats, currants or raisins.

According to Visit Wales, a traditional crempog recipe uses self-raising flour, salt, butter, eggs and milk. However, other sources claim that the very first crempog recipes – known as Crempog Furum or Crembog Burum – would call for yeast and, in fact, it’s thought that crempogau may even have inspired the English crumpet!

Crempog pronuniciation

If you’re not familiar with the Welsh language, you may be wondering exactly how ‘crempog’ is pronounced. This simple, two syllable words is simply pronounced as, “creme-pog”, or ‘crempogau’, (“creme-pog-eye”) in plural form.

Welsh pancakes: a brief history

A relatively affordable, simple dish, crempogau were popular among working class families throughout Wales. Depending on where you are in Wales, you’ll probably hear them being called different names. While Welsh pancakes are most commonly known as crempog (a term thought to have originated in north Wales), they’re also known as ‘ffroes’ in parts of Glamorgan, ‘cramoth’ (in Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan), poncagu (in Carmarthenshire) and pancocs (in Pembrokeshire).

How to serve crempog, or crempogau

Traditionally, crempogau are slathered in Welsh butter, sugar and/or treacle, and eaten whilst hot, often in the form of a stack. Some families would slice into the stack as though it were a cake, serving up the wedges as portions.

However, crempogau also taste wonderful cold, and they pair well with all kinds of toppings, including the blood orange, mascarpone, Welsh honey and pistachio nuts I came up with this year.

Here are some more crempog topping ideas to leave you feeling inspired…

• Lemon juice and sugar
• Lotus biscoff
• Nutella or melted chocolate
• Golden or maple syrup
• Welsh honey
• Salted caramel sauce
• Jam
• Fresh fruit
• Cream

….and don’t be afraid to experiment with any other toppings you particularly enjoy!

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Crempog or crempogau (Welsh pancakes)

Thicker than the traditional British pancake or French crepe, and bigger than a Scotch pancake or pikelet, Welsh 'crempog' or 'crempogau' pancakes are more akin to their fat, fluffy American counterparts.

While early crempog recipes are believed to have used yeast, this recipe – an adaptation of a recipe by Aaron Broster available at VisitWales.com – uses bicarbonate of soda as the raising agent.

Traditionally, crempogau would be served with nothing more than a knob of Welsh butter, a sprinkle of sugar and, if you were lucky, a dollop of treacle. However, crempogau taste great paired with a variety of different toppings.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine British, UK, Welsh

Keyword buttermilk, crempog, crempogau, pancakes, welsh pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 pancakes

Author Kacie Morgan

Equipment

• Traditional Welsh bakestone optional
• Cast iron skillet if not using a bakestone or frying pan
• Non-stick frying pan if not using a bakestone or skillet
• Pancake or crepe pan if not using a regular frying pan, bakestone or skillet

Ingredients

• 45 g unsalted butter
• 300 ml buttermilk
• 200 g plain flour
• 65 g sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 eggs beaten
• ¼ tsp ground mace
• 25 g currants optional

Instructions

• Gently heat the buttermilk in a medium-sized saucepan. Once warmed through, add the butter and stir through until melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, gradually pour the buttermilk and butter mixture into the flour, and beat until combined. Cover and leave to rest for at least 30 mins, but ideally, for an hour or two.
• Add the sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt, vinegar, eggs and mace. Whisk until you have a thick batter (although it won’t be as runny as regular pancake batter).
• Heat a bakestone, skillet or non-stick frying pan and brush with vegetable oil or a knob of butter.
• Using a tablespoon, carefully transfer a spoonful of batter onto the bakestone, and use the back of the spoon to smooth it over and form a circular shape.

  If using currants, sprinkle a few currants on the top of each crempog after you smooth it over.
• Cook each crempog over a low to medium heat until you can see little bubbles forming on the surface. At this stage, a quick look at the underside of the pancake using a spatula should reveal a golden, slightly risen crust. Flip the crempog and cook for a further 3-4 minutes on the other side.
• Transfer the crempogau onto a plate or baking tray and keep them warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve them.
• Serve your crempogau with your choice of toppings. While treacle, butter and/or sugar are thought to be the most traditional toppings, other toppings work well too.

Notes

• Traditionally, Welsh crempogau are made on a cast iron bakestone or ‘planc’, known as a griddle in England, and a girdle in Scotland. However, you can also use a cast iron skillet, non-stick frying pan or pancake pan. 
• Leftover crempogau can be covered and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days; they taste delicious eaten cold too. 

Traditional Welsh food – further inspiration

To discover more authentic Welsh food and home cooking, take a look at some of the other traditional Welsh recipes I’ve featured on the blog:

• Welsh rarebit
• Welsh Glamorgan sausages
• Welsh cakes
• Welsh lamb cawl
• Welsh bara brith
• Brussels sprout Welsh rarebit

Have you ever made Welsh crempog, or crempogau? Perhaps you’ve got another tried-and-tested go-to pancake recipe that you turn to for Shrove Tuesday? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave me a comment by completing the form below; I love to hear from my readers!

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