Well BobL, you definitely couldn't set-and-forget the crumpets in the breadmaker because you have to add the tepid water, bicarb soda and salt after the batter has been left to rise for an hour, and then leave it for another 20 minutes. You could do the first part of the process, i.e. make the dough and let it rise by setting the breadmaker timer to start maybe two or three hours before you plan to eat breakfast and then add the bicarb etc and wait 20 minutes for it to do its magic, then cook the bread either in the machine or in the oven - or just use the batter to cook the crumpets in a pan.

The only advantage that I can see is that when the first batter has to be stirred the breadmaker could do the hard work of stirring the batter. Paul Hollywood's recipe instructions say:

"Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until you have a smooth batter. This will take 3–4 minutes and is **hard work** [my asterixes added] because the mixture is stiff, but it is essential to develop the protein strength in the batter and will ensure the crumpets develop their characteristic holes as they cook."

Note: I posted the link to Paul H's recipe in this thread on 22 May 21 - 08:20 PM.