Some of you may have been on vent when I suddenly have to go afk every 7 mins to ‘flip my muffins’. hehe
The first time you make these, you’re going to question “wtf don’t I just buy these at the store?” then… you’ll pull one fresh from the pan, slap some butter or jam on it and understand in this rush of pure awesome just why baking at home is actually worth it.
This recipe comes from the source of all amazing baking recipes: King Arthur Flour (.com) If you’ve been thinking about making more fresh food at home, but fear trying bread, I have yet to have a bummer with any of their recipes. The recipe is copied right from their website with my added tips in (these things). Once baked, place them in a big resealable container with a paper towel in the bottom to absorb any extra moisture that may be release through the next 5-6 days that they sit on your counter. (Those disposable gladware containers are awesome… just look for the giant sized one for like 3-4 bucks for 2!) =)
Great for: snacks, morning breakfast sandwich, deli sandwich, dinner rolls, hamburgers… really, just about anything that you would use normal bread for.
English Muffins!
(credit: King Arthur Flour)
English muffins are amongst the most popular breakfast foods. Quick and easy to eat, they can be as simple as a muffin-with-jam to all-dressed-up with ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce for an elegant eggs Benedict.
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk, warm (2 mins in pyrex measuring with a quick stir half way through is perfect)
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten (don’t go nuts, just a quick whisk of like 2-3 secs)
4 to 4 1/4 cups (17 to 18 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour (if you have fresh, but cheaper flour, use the 4 1/4… not-so-fresh or better flour, use the 4 cups)
2 teaspoons instant yeast (the packets of active dry are just fine, just don’t use the whole packet! measure off 1/4 tsp and throw that away)
—(if you have a bread machine:) Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the “dough” or “manual” setting.
—( If you have a stand mixer: Pour warm milk over pats of butter (8-10 pieces of butter melt a lot better than a block of butter! /pro tip)
Add salt, sugar, stir… add yeast and egg, stir… add all of the flour and then mix on LOWEST setting for 2 mins, then on next setting for 3 more mins)
—(If all you have is a wooden spoon, get ready for some effort, but stir until everything looks well mixed and smooth enough… probably about 8-10 mins of actual effort. Stopping early will mean your muffins may be a bit drier or not as fluffy as they should be)
(Either which way you mix this… set the dough in a warmish place to rise for 90 mins (warmish means under 100 degrees or else the bread may taste yeasty or alcoholic) -also- (the dough will not look like the kind you can knead. It will be kind of gooey at this point. )
After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. (if the dough is sticking to your roller, just sprinkle a little cornmeal on the area.) Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter.(I have yet to find this mythical 3-inch cutter… I use a plastic ice tea cup that is a great size for larger muffins. Yes… one of the Paco cups hehe)
Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes. (While they are resting, start heating your pans, that way they will be universally heated for your first muffins. )
Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat (On a new, glass top GE range, that’s the 3 setting with thicker pans that are oven safe. If you have thinner metal pans, you may have to adjust down). Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook four muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 7 minutes a side. (Make sure they are not touching, as they will spring and poof as they cook.)
***Check after about 3 to 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light; if they seem to be cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle. *** (Once you figure out the right temp, you’ll never have to worry about this again)
When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and proceed with the rest. If you have two frying pans (or a large griddle), you’ll be better able to keep up with your rising muffins. (If for some reason they did not fully cook because you made them really big, transfer them to the oven at 350 for 7mins … which is the length of time you’re already watching the next patch of muffins cook for /smart)
Yield: 16 muffins.
Nutrition information per serving (1 whole muffin, 2 halves, 59g): 140 cal, 3g fat, 4g protein, 23g complex carbohydrates, 1g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 24mg cholesterol, 194mg sodium, 78mg potassium, 38RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 77mg calcium, 55mg phosphorus.
If you have any issues when you make these, just poke me! I’ve been making these for months now and over that time, I’ve learned a ton about how to make these puppies awesome.
errrr… 