Make your own English muffins

[Steve H]

I never knew they were cooked this way. I always assumed in a oven.

 

[noboundaries]

EM 's look great, and I love them. Added to the to-do list . Thank you!

Thank you, WR.

EM's look great Ray. Excellent work. Love EM's, never tried to make before. We've been using Ray's instead of Thomas' from the grocery store lately. Happy New Year!

Thanks MBJ. I saw your post on Ray's muffins, which aren't available in my area. Store bought muffins measure 3.15". I didn't weigh the dough balls, but the smallest was about 4 25", the largest 6".

And Happy New Year to you, too!

 

[noboundaries]

They look really good. I've thought about making these in the past. Just wasn't sure how to proceed. Thanks for posting!

Thanks Steve. They were pretty easy.

The muffins look great. We make them all the time too, but we use the flat top, dusted with cornmeal. We don’t cover them either. That way you can cook the whole batch at once.
Al

Thanks Al. And thanks for the idea of using the flattop. I don't have one, but I have the large single burner I use for roasting coffee and both a cast iron griddle and CI pizza pan that will fit. Could be a big time saver!

 

[noboundaries]

I never knew they were cooked this way. I always assumed in a oven.

When I was researching recipes, I found ones that were stovetop fried only, and ones that were browned on the stovetop but finished in the oven. My disastrous batch was stovetop to oven. These were WAAAY easier stovetop only.

 

[MJB05615]

Store bought muffins measure 3.15". I didn't weigh the dough balls, but the smallest was about 4 25", the largest 6".

Those larger ones we would love. Used to be able to get Thomas' large ones, but have not seen them in a few years.
I get the Ray's at Wallyworld and Kroger here in Ga.

 

[Fueling Around]

You have the home cured loin bacon shaved thin for a killer Eggs Benedict?
That is my ultimate EM meal.

 

[noboundaries]

You have the home cured loin bacon shaved thin for a killer Eggs Benedict?
That is my ultimate EM meal.

Another reason I need to get a second refrigerator. Been wanting to cure some loin, but holiday meals took preference. Might have to use some Costco ham and make the EB.

 

[petewoody]

I have been using this recipe with King Arthur Bread Flour and cooking in a covered skillet. My results haven't been as good and SWMBO compares them to hockey pucks. Will try with AP flour.

 

[noboundaries]

I have been using this recipe with King Arthur Bread Flour and cooking in a covered skillet. My results haven't been as good and SWMBO compares them to hockey pucks. Will try with AP flour.

I know that AP flour gives a softer pizza dough, so I figured give it a try with the EMs. Loved the results. My wife is a supertaster and she tastes something metallic in a lot of commercial EMs. She said these tasted fresh and clean.

I like using the overnight fermented poolish for taste and how it works with the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast the next day.

My disaster, my first ever attempt at EMs, was whole grain wheat flour. That's something I'm going to have to grow into slowly. I might try substituting a single cup of KA white whole wheat or bread flour to the recipe shown above to see the impact on the final results.

 

[daveomak]

I think Thomas are the best EM's... If this recipe is comparable, WOW !!!!...
I guess I'm back in the kitchen trying my luck at EM's AGAIN.... Baking is NOT my forte... but for a good EM, I'm willing to give it 1 more shot.....
Thanks for the recipe, before I screw it up.....

 

[noboundaries]

I think Thomas are the best EM's... If this recipe is comparable, WOW !!!!...
I guess I'm back in the kitchen trying my luck at EM's AGAIN.... Baking is NOT my forte... but for a good EM, I'm willing to give it 1 more shot.....
Thanks for the recipe, before I screw it up.....

You're welcome, Dave. These are like Thomas EMs on steroids. They were pretty soft yesterday right after fry-baking. This morning they'd firmed up nicely, just like the ones in the store.

And trust me, I've eaten a lot of bad baking mistakes. These were pretty dang easy.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Looks great! I've not made these in years.
They do well with rings on a Griddle, like a Blackstone, as well...JJ

 

[noboundaries]

Looks great! I've not made these in years.
They do well with rings on a Griddle, like a Blackstone, as well...JJ

Thanks JJ. My wife gave me a set of 5 x 4" stainless steel rings in a Christmas gift. I wanted to see how these turned out before using the rings. I'll definitely use them next time.

 

[bill1]

I never knew they were cooked this way. I always assumed in a oven.

Me too. And the pic of 12 in the baking pan confused me but noboundaries recently clarified they were all pan-cooked on stovetop.

NB--If they compete with Thomas' you probably have a business. Walmart sells their GV muffins for $1.14; Thomas' are over 3X as much but people are willing to spend it for the superior product. I doubt the extra $2 is in what may be better ingredients or labor, it's mostly in profits!

 

[noboundaries]

Me too. And the pic of 12 in the baking pan confused me but noboundaries recently clarified they were all pan-cooked on stovetop.

NB--If they compete with Thomas' you probably have a business. Walmart sells their GV muffins for $1.14; Thomas' are over 3X as much but people are willing to spend it for the superior product. I doubt the extra $2 is in what may be better ingredients or labor, it's mostly in profits!

The baking pan was for the muffins to rise. After I fry-baked a batch of four, I put them back on the pan and got four more to fry-bake. Easy peasy.

Not interested in a business, but I like your way of thinking. I'd have to add preservatives and that kind of defeats the purpose of making them at home to save money and improve the taste. Plus, all I did was adapt an online recipe for my own tastes and baking processes. The result was a delicious surprise. More of a shock, really, but it gave me some insight as to the retail markup of quality English muffins.

 

[Fueling Around]

I know that AP flour gives a softer pizza dough, so I figured give it a try with the EMs. Loved the results. My wife is a supertaster and she tastes something metallic in a lot of commercial EMs. She said these tasted fresh and clean.
...

I taste aluminum from the baking powder used in American biscuits which are kinda similar to English muffins.
Do the cheap muffins use baking powder?

 

[noboundaries]

I haven't checked the commercial ingredients, but my wife tasted that, too.

Some American biscuits do use baking powder. I usually buy the aluminum-free baking powder by Rumford, but it has been difficult to find with the baking surge during Covid.

The cornbread I made earlier today had Clabber Girl baking powder in it (not aluminum free) and my wife does not taste the metal.

 

[daveomak]

Amazon has Rumford ....

 

[noboundaries]

Amazon has Rumford ....

Good to know. I was out around June or July and needed baking powder for something. Picked up the only one they had, which was the BIG can of Clabber Girl. I've learned to start planning ahead and pick something up well before I need it. If they don't have Rumford on my next visit, I'll buzz Amazon.

 

[tropics]

I'd take a dozen of them off your hands WOW nicely done Sir
Richie