English Muffins
“Nooks” and “crannies” are words that I only associate with english muffins. I guess that is the evidence of a successful marketing campaign. I baked up some english muffins this weekend, and though they were pretty easy, they unfortunately lacked the expected nooks and crannies. It may have been because I was overly excited to eat them (read: starving), so I may have skimped a bit on the second rising time…
but these muffins (I can’t in good conscience call these “english” in their nook-less and cranny-less state) were still super delicious. Store-bought english muffins can sometimes lack a more complex yeasty/bready flavor that is apparent in these home-made muffins. Nothing beats freshly baked bread, especially since these are cooked for a bit on the stovetop and the browning adds so much flavor. Next time though, I will aim to get those nooks and crannies, using Alton Brown’s recipe.
These muffins were tasty with a bit of butter and/or fruit preserves… but my favorite way to enjoy an english muffin is with a fried egg, fried salami (until crisp), melted cheese, and a bit of ketchup. With one of these babies under your belt, it’s bound to be an awesome day.
English Muffins
from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening or butter (I used butter)
3/4-1 cup milk (room temperature)
cornmeal for sprinkling
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix in the shortening and 3/4 cup of milk. Add the remaining milk if the dough is too dry. (For active dry yeast - NOT INSTANT- you have to proof and “wake up” the yeast with warm liquid. I warmed up the milk in the microwave for about a minute, until it warm, but not too hot, to the touch. I added the yeast and sugar to the milk, and stir to mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until froth and foam appears on the surface- the sign that the yeast have woken up and are ready to work! Then add the flour, salt, and shortening/butter and mix.)
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour in a warm place.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and shape into balls. Lay on parchment paper on a baking sheet, evenly space apart to give room to rise, and lightly coat with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for another ahour.
- Heat the oven to 350 F and heat up a skillet on medium heat on the stove top. Brush the skillet with oil and gently transfer dough balls to the skillet, a few at a time. Allow them to cook on the skillet for 5-8 minutes, until the bottoms are nicely browned. Carefully flip and cook the other side for about 5-8 minutes more.
- When the muffins look as if they are about to burn, remove from the skillet and transfer quickly to a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Do not wait until all the muffins have been cooked on the skillet before moving them to the oven- as the first batch is baking, move the second batch of muffins to the skillet.
- Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving. Store in a an airtight container or ziploc bags.
