I just love English muffins but seldom buy them because of the price.
This was my first try at making English muffins. I did not achieve the nooks and crannies that I had hoped for; however, if you us a fork to split the muffins, instead of a knife, they will have more texture. I am going to keep trying a few more things to see if I can find a solution to my problem.
Homemade English Muffins
(Roll and Cut Method)
Yields 12 to 14 three inch muffins
Prep: 45 minutes, total time about 2 hours
* 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 1/8 teaspoon sugar
Combine the active dry yeast, water, and sugar in a small bowl and allow it to stand until foamy, about 7 to 10 minutes.
* 2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups warm milk (around 95° to 100°)
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Combine 2 cups of flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Pour in the egg, milk, butter and yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon to combine. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading on medium-low speed as you make the additions. Knead for 3 to 5 minutes after the last flour addition.
Place the dough inside a large greased bowl and turn the dough over so that the entire surface is coated. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
* Plain yellow corn meal for dusting
Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal. Pour the dough out of the bowl onto the surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with cornmeal and roll into a rectangle, slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. Cut muffins with a large round cutter, or with the mouth of a drinking glass.
Lightly oil a skillet and place it over medium heat. Place the muffins in the pan and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 5-7 minutes per side. (I had to cook mine on low so that they did not get too dark.)
Serve warm or split and toasted with jam and butter, or cool before placing them in an air-tight container. They will keep for 3 days air-tight or up to 1 month in the freezer.
You may use pastry rings or English muffin molds to help the muffins keep their round shape, but I tried the recipe both ways and found they did fine without the rings/molds.
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