Warm Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
1 (2) package of yeast - active dry works best
1/4 (1/2) cup warm water
2 (4) tbsp sugar
1-1/2 (3) tsp salt
3 (6) tbsp oil
1 1/4 (2 1/2) cup heated milk
4 (8) cups sifted flour (approximate, you may need a little more or less when working with the dough)
1/4 (1/2) cup corn meal
Try this recipe for homemade english muffins.
Directions
Add one tbsp of sugar to warm water.
Soft yeast in sugar water and set aside. This "feeds" the yeast. You can tell when the yeast is ready when it looks foamy and has doubled in size.
Measure remaining sugar, salt and oil into a large mixing bowl.
Stir in warm milk until sugar dissolves.
Cool to lukewarm.
Blend in 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth.
Add yeast and beat at medium speed on electric mixer for 5 minutes. Watch to make sure the dough does not climb up the beaters as the blender is running. If it does start to do so, use a table knife or spatula to push it back down into the bowl.
Stir in more flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Roll dough into a 12 (24) inch square.
Fold in half and fold again.
Roll folded dough into a 12 (24) inch square.
Repeat steps 10 thru 12, rolling and folding, for a total of 5 times.
Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Use this 10 minutes to clean your work space.
Lay out lengths of wax paper in a warm flat area, out of any breezes or drafts.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the corn meal onto the wax paper, lightly covering the surface of the wax paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough from the bowl.
Roll dough to 3/8 inch thick.
Cut out circles with 3 inch cutter.
Place each cut out circle on the corn meal covered wax paper.
Continue cutting out circles out of the rolled dough until you can do no more. Try to leave at least an inch between each circle to allow for expansion in size when the dough rises.
Gently press remaining dough into a ball and roll out again 3/8 inch thick.
Continue to cut out circles and place the circles on the wax paper until there is no more dough. The last remaining dough you may need to shape with your hands rather than a rolling pin.
Cover the dough circles with a couple of warm wet towels so that the dough does not dry out while rising.
Let dough rest at room temperature until each circle has doubled in size, approximately 1 and 1/4 hours.
Using a medium-low to low heat setting, preheat a lightly greased skillet or griddle. To lightly grease, use a paper towel with a little amount of oil and wipe the skillet with the towel. Do this every time you add a new batch of muffins to the skillet. Also, wipe away any residual corn meal while greasing the skillet.
Allow skillet to heat completely before beginning to cook the muffins.
Very, very, very gently move muffins to the skillet for cooking. Depending on the size of your skillet, place four to six muffins on the skillet. Allow at least 1/2 an inch between each muffin for expansion during cooking time.
Bake each muffin for 10 to 15 minutes on each side, turning once. Be sure to cook each muffin slowly. Quick cooking will cause the outside of the muffin to cook too much and the inside of the muffin to cook too little.
Continue to cook muffins until all are done.
When just off the skillet, spilt a muffin in half and spread with butter. Delicious.
Remaining muffins can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week or so. Reheat muffins in the toaster.
Additional Notes
This recipe for English muffins was one that my mother used to pull out only at Christmas time. When I was about 15, I asked if I could make them on my own. Since then I make these on a regular basis. The fresh yeasty smell of cooking English muffins is a welcoming homey smell that can't be beat. I usually make a double batch of dough, so have provided the double amounts in parentheses. You can also include your kids in the making of this recipe. Allow them to stir the ingredients, do some of the rolling of the dough, do some cutting of the muffins, and, depending on their age, do some of the cooking of the muffins.
Intermediate. I don't recommend using a cutter any smaller than 3 inches, as it will be very difficult to get the muffins out of the toaster when toasting. As alternative to a circle, if you have a 3 inch shaped cookie cutter, you can use that to make it fun for your kids. Fresh English muffins with warm melted butter will have you begging for more.
