English Muffins

I've been wanting to try English Muffins for a while now, and finally got around to it yesterday with my friend, Christy.  They were definitely yummy enough to share with you.  Split a fresh one open, toast it, and slather it with lots of butter and you are in for a treat. Yesterday I ate 3.  And a half.  Oops.  They also freeze beautifully, and are perfect for make ahead McMuffin-style breakfast sammies (my all-time fav breakfast).  Cooked on a griddle instead of in the oven, these babies were a cinch to make!  

Here is a little step by step photo:

1- make dough and let it rise

2- divide into 16 pieces

3- roll each piece into a ball

4- flatten with a glass 

5-make sure they are at least 3 - 3.5 inches in diameter

6-Lay on the cooking surface to rest til ready to cook

7- cook over low heat on each side for 7-15 mintues

8- flip and cook the next side

9- cool or if you can't wait I don't blame you. Slather in butter and honey/jam and enjoy!

  

English Muffins

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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1 cup milk

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 scant tablespoon instant yeast

1 cup warm water

¼ cup vegetable oil/melted butter

5-6 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Cornmeal/semolina or farina for dusting.

Directions:

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1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat.
2. Combine 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast and mix til smooth.  Add the lukewarm milk, oil/butter and mix til smooth.  Add enough flour as you knead to make a soft dough (if using a mixer, mix until it cleans the sides of the bowl).  Knead for 3 minutes.
3. Place kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover to rise until double.  
4. Punch the dough down. Divide dough into 16 pieces.  Shape each piece into a smooth ball and flatten with your hands or a glass cup (or both) until they are about 3-3 ½ inches in diameter. Dust the dough discs with cornmeal/semolina/farina. Dust the surface of the griddle or skillet you plan to cook them on and place each flattened disc on the griddle and cover to let rise - that way you don’t have to move them after they’ve risen. Let them rest for 20 minutes. They won’t rise a lot, but they will puff a bit.  
5. Cook the muffins over low heat for 7-15 mintues per side until the crust is golden brown and the interior is cooked through.  If you have an instant read thermometer they should be about 200 degrees F.  If you find the muffins have browned before they’ve cooked all the way - simply pop them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until they’re thoroughly cooked.
6. Remove them from the heat and let them cool. If you split them open with a fork vs cutting them open with a knife you’ll have lovely nooks and crannies for melted butter, jam, and honey.  

Recipe adapted from two recipe 1) Allrecipes and 2) King Arthur Flour

original picture from 8/5/11

we like to save our original photos to see how our food photography has changed.