The price of tasty English muffins where I shop has gotten ridiculous, like 60-70 cents per muffin. There are cheaper muffins, at 30 cents per, but they are meh.
The price of muffins encouraged me to try making my own. My first attempt with a different recipe was a friggin' disaster, making six of the densest bricks I've ever tasted. My wife wouldn't eat them. I ate every one of those six muffin monsters.
Then comes today and a different recipe. I just made 12 incredibly light, tender, cranny-filled mega-muffins for less than $1. My wife just came downstairs from working and raved about the one I toasted, buttered, and gave her.
First, let me apologize that I didn't think of taking pics until I'd started fry baking the muffins. I didn't want to document another disaster. Now, I wish I had taken pics. I will next time, unless one of you want to give them a shot and beat me to it.
Here''s the recipe I adapted off the Internet.
ENGLISH MUFFINS
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
Online Author: Buttertooth
Ray's notes: I made this recipe with King Arthur AP flour. Result was light, tender, cranny-filled English muffins. Tastes like Thomas EM but at fraction of the cost. Sooooo easy to make. I also made a few changes. Two tricks: work dough with wet hands, and use semolina like you would on pizza dough.
I did not cold ferment the dough in the fridge and these muffins were still full of nooks and crannies. A cold ferment will give the dough a light sourdough flavor.
INGREDIENTS
For the poolish:
¾ cup King Arthur AP flour
½ cup water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
For the English muffin dough:
1 cup milk, whole or 2%, warmed to 100F.
1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
2 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar.
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups King Arthur AP flour
Semolina for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the poolish the night before mixing the rest of the ingredients. Mix the flour, water, and yeast together in a 2-3 cup bowl until glossy. Cover and allow to sit on the counter for 8-12 hours before continuing to the next step. Poolish should be bubbly before proceeding.
When ready to start fry baking, mix the salt and flour in a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Check for small bubbles after a few minutes to ensure yeast is alive. It will not get foamy like it does in water.
Incorporate the poolish with a spoon, spatula, or whisk. It melts into the milk. Mixture will be frothy.
Add the beaten egg to the mixing bowl and incorporate with a whisk.
Slowly add the flour/salt and mix with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. Scrap the sides as necessary.
Using the hook attachment of your mixer, knead the dough on medium until it comes together as a shiny, smooth ball—about 7-8 minutes. If the ball is still clinging to the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium high until the gluten develops, the dough ball forms, and the dough no longer sticks to the sides. Another 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about two hours. Alternatively, you can allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator overnight (and up to 3 days). Longer resting times means a more developed flavor.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces using a dough scraper. Shape into smooth balls with wet fingers and drop into a bowl of semolina to coat.
Dust a baking sheet with semolina and place muffins there for an additional rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours. Dust the top of each muffin with more semolina.
Prep a metal spatula with semolina. Place a little pile of semolina next to each dough ball.
Warm a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Throw some semolina into the pan.
Quickly slide the spatula under a dough ball and transfer it to the warm pan, flipping the ball upside down. Fix any mishapes with the spatula.
Sprinkle more semolina on each muffin. Cover the pan and begin cooking your muffins. Each muffin will require about 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on your pan. Check it doesn't get too dark. Turn down the heat if it does.
Once both sides are cooked, insert an instant read thermometer into the muffins and check for 195F minimum.
Muffins are soft and tender on the inside, firm on the outside due to the AP flour. Cut with a serated knife.
Toast and serve. Store extras in an airtight container. Will last 3-5 days on the counter, or more than a week in the refrigerator.
First side in the covered frying pan.
Ooops. Let these go 6 minutes and they were a bit too brown, but still tasty!
Adapted the timing and got a better exterior.
The nooks and crannies of these English muffins.
Toasted and ready to butter and jelly.
The price of muffins encouraged me to try making my own. My first attempt with a different recipe was a friggin' disaster, making six of the densest bricks I've ever tasted. My wife wouldn't eat them. I ate every one of those six muffin monsters.
Then comes today and a different recipe. I just made 12 incredibly light, tender, cranny-filled mega-muffins for less than $1. My wife just came downstairs from working and raved about the one I toasted, buttered, and gave her.
First, let me apologize that I didn't think of taking pics until I'd started fry baking the muffins. I didn't want to document another disaster. Now, I wish I had taken pics. I will next time, unless one of you want to give them a shot and beat me to it.
Here''s the recipe I adapted off the Internet.
ENGLISH MUFFINS
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
Online Author: Buttertooth
Ray's notes: I made this recipe with King Arthur AP flour. Result was light, tender, cranny-filled English muffins. Tastes like Thomas EM but at fraction of the cost. Sooooo easy to make. I also made a few changes. Two tricks: work dough with wet hands, and use semolina like you would on pizza dough.
I did not cold ferment the dough in the fridge and these muffins were still full of nooks and crannies. A cold ferment will give the dough a light sourdough flavor.
INGREDIENTS
For the poolish:
¾ cup King Arthur AP flour
½ cup water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
For the English muffin dough:
1 cup milk, whole or 2%, warmed to 100F.
1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
2 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar.
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups King Arthur AP flour
Semolina for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the poolish the night before mixing the rest of the ingredients. Mix the flour, water, and yeast together in a 2-3 cup bowl until glossy. Cover and allow to sit on the counter for 8-12 hours before continuing to the next step. Poolish should be bubbly before proceeding.
When ready to start fry baking, mix the salt and flour in a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Check for small bubbles after a few minutes to ensure yeast is alive. It will not get foamy like it does in water.
Incorporate the poolish with a spoon, spatula, or whisk. It melts into the milk. Mixture will be frothy.
Add the beaten egg to the mixing bowl and incorporate with a whisk.
Slowly add the flour/salt and mix with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. Scrap the sides as necessary.
Using the hook attachment of your mixer, knead the dough on medium until it comes together as a shiny, smooth ball—about 7-8 minutes. If the ball is still clinging to the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium high until the gluten develops, the dough ball forms, and the dough no longer sticks to the sides. Another 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about two hours. Alternatively, you can allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator overnight (and up to 3 days). Longer resting times means a more developed flavor.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces using a dough scraper. Shape into smooth balls with wet fingers and drop into a bowl of semolina to coat.
Dust a baking sheet with semolina and place muffins there for an additional rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours. Dust the top of each muffin with more semolina.
Prep a metal spatula with semolina. Place a little pile of semolina next to each dough ball.
Warm a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Throw some semolina into the pan.
Quickly slide the spatula under a dough ball and transfer it to the warm pan, flipping the ball upside down. Fix any mishapes with the spatula.
Sprinkle more semolina on each muffin. Cover the pan and begin cooking your muffins. Each muffin will require about 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on your pan. Check it doesn't get too dark. Turn down the heat if it does.
Once both sides are cooked, insert an instant read thermometer into the muffins and check for 195F minimum.
Muffins are soft and tender on the inside, firm on the outside due to the AP flour. Cut with a serated knife.
Toast and serve. Store extras in an airtight container. Will last 3-5 days on the counter, or more than a week in the refrigerator.
First side in the covered frying pan.
Ooops. Let these go 6 minutes and they were a bit too brown, but still tasty!
Adapted the timing and got a better exterior.
The nooks and crannies of these English muffins.
Toasted and ready to butter and jelly.
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