English Muffins – From Scratch

Some things are just better when they’re made from scratch, not to mention that making something “with your own two hands” gives such great satisfaction. When you do this, you will know exactly what ingredients went into your meals, and because of that, it gives you wiggle room for dietary or taste preferences. From Scratch is the way to go…

 

English Muffins

English muffins are so versatile, from a simple buttered one, to holding together a greasy breakfast sandwich, to being the sturdy base for an eggs benedict.

Whichever way you prefer, once you make them from scratch and taste them for the first time, you may never go back. And while they’re extremely good fresh out of the pan (yes, pan!), you can also freeze them for that Sunday morning brunch.

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk (around 110°F/45°C)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cornmeal, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS:

You can make this by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer, but the dough can be very wet and hard to work with.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.

Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter to the bowl with the activated yeast. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.

Once the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a round cutter (about 3 inches in diameter) to cut out the muffins. Re-roll any scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

Place the cut muffins on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle some cornmeal on top of the muffins as well. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter or oil. Carefully transfer one of the muffins to the hot pan. Cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temp should be around 200°F.

You may need to adjust the heat to ensure they cook evenly without burning. Once you can tell the correct cooking time and temp, repeat with the rest of the muffins, a few at a time, leaving some space between them.

Once cooked, transfer the English muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Slice them open with a fork to reveal their nooks and crannies.

(It’s best to separate them before freezing, if you are choosing to do so. They can go directly into a toaster from the freezer.)

Serve warm with butter, jam, or make your favourite breakfast meal.

ENJOY!