English Muffins

In the last year, Theresa and I have both started making many things that we’d previously bought. One example is English muffins.

English muffins are a fairly expensive bread item. Even at the discount bread store, the cost for a pack of six English muffins was usually more than I wanted to spend.

Since we began making these (from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese), I haven’t looked back. For about the same amount as a six-pack of store-bought muffins, you can get 16-24 muffins (depending on how thick you roll the dough, and the size of the cutter you use). Plus, the ultimate test: the taste is substantially better. Fresh off the griddle, the taste can’t be beat.

~Katie

What you need:

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. warm water
• 1 T. instant yeast
• 2 T. sugar
• 4 c. flour
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 c. warm milk
• 2 T. unsalted butter, melted
• vegetable oil, for oiling the  bowl
• cornmeal, for dusting the counter

Equipment

• stand mixer with dough hook
• measuring cups and spoons
• rolling pin
• 3″ round cutter
• stovetop griddle
• heat-proof spatula
  

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English muffins

homemade yogurt

Time: 5 minutes mixing, 2* hours rising time, 30 minutes to roll, cut, and cook

*Although the recipe calls for a 2-hour rise, we prefer a longer rise.

Freezeable: Yes. They’ll last a few months.

Serves: Depending on how thick you roll the dough, and how big a cutter you use, you can get anywhere from 16-24 muffins.

Multiplying the recipe: Doubling is easily done. Any more batches would need to use a new bowl.

English muffins:

In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine water, yeast, sugar, 2 c. flour, and salt. Mix together. Add the egg, milk, and butter. Mix together until combined. Add the remaining 2 c. flour and mix until smooth. The dough should be moist – only add flour as necessary, and do so 1 T. at a time.

Oil a bowl and slide the dough into it. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise until doubled. (Note: Though the original recipe calls for a 2-hour rise, we have both found that, not only does a longer rise not hurt the dough, but it really gives it a ton of extra flavor. I usually let it rise between 2 and 4 hours. Theresa has had fantastic results with a 6-hour rise.)

Dust a clean countertop with cornmeal. Slide the dough out onto the cornmeal, and generously sprinkle the top with cornmeal. (I use a very heavy hand with the cornmeal.) Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2″ thick. Use a 3″ round cutter to cut out muffins. Gather scraps and re-roll to cut out remaining muffins.

Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium-high. Place muffins on the griddle and immediately turn down to medium. Cook the muffins for 6-8 minutes per side. They should be medium brown, not dark brown.

When cooked, place on a cooling rack. To serve, split muffins with a fork before toasting. These store at room temperature for about 5 days, and in the freezer for several months.

English muffins