I suppose this is technically not a ‘sweet’ recipe, but the smell of fresh bread (English muffins in this case!) makes me think of cooler weather so I thought it would be appropriate for the ITS audience. Homemade English muffins are definitely worth your time and effort. These muffins are baked versus cooked on a griddle, giving you time to contemplate yummy toppings… butter, honey, jam, peanut butter, butter (did we mention butter?)… endless possibilities!
Homemade English Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 6 oz all-purpose flour
- 5-3/4 oz white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon*
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 9 oz (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) lukewarm milk
- 1 oz (2 tablespoons) melted butter
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar,
- cornmeal to coat the muffins
*Note: if you want to make ‘plain’ English muffins, just omit the cinnamon!
- Mix all the ingredients except the semolina or cornmeal. Beat for 1 minute at high speed of an electric mixer; the dough will become somewhat smooth.
- Scrape the dough into the center of the bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for about 60 minutes or until quite puffy.
- Line a large (18″ x 13″) baking sheet with parchment. Grease twelve 3-3/4″ English muffin rings** and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cornmeal into each ring.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly greased or floured work surface. Cut it into 12 equal pieces; (each will weigh a scant approximately 2 ounces). Shape the dough into balls. Place each ball into a ring, pressing it down to flatten somewhat. Sprinkle with a bit more cornmeal. Place a sheet of parchement on top of the rings and then another baking sheet. The second baking sheet should be resting on top of the rings.
- Let the muffins rise for about 60 to 90 minutes, until they’ve puffed up noticeably. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
- Bake the risen muffins for 10 minutes. Flip the pans over (be careful!) and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove the top pan, and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the muffins are a light golden brown (the interior of a muffin should register about 200 deg F on an instant-read thermometer if you want to be very technical).
- Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool. Remove the rings as soon as possible (the metal rings will be hot so wait a few minutes). When completely cool, store muffins in a plastic bag. Freeze, if desired.
**If you don’t have English muffin rings, shape the dough into balls, flatten and place on the baking sheet without the rings. Follow the rest of the directions (muffins might be a little thinner than those baked in the rings but they will still taste great!).
**Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour, ‘Baked English Muffins’
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