English muffins are a perfect bakery product for breakfast, especially if they are buttered. The recipe of the dough allows you to obtain scones with a consistency such as to be able to spread butter and jam perfectly. Furthermore, being soft and airy, it is possible to toast them to perfection. As if this were not enough, they are very easy to prepare at home: the hardest part is waiting for them to finish rising! The doses indicated in this recipe allow you to obtain 8-10 muffins.
Ingrediants
- ½ cup of skimmed milk powder + 1 cup of hot water
- 1 ½ tablespoon of sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon of food fat
- 1 sachet of dry yeast
- 0, 5 g of sugar
- 3 cups of sifted flour
- Non-stick cooking spray
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Homemade English Muffins
Step 1. Pour the powdered milk preparation, one and a half tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, one and a half tablespoons of food fat and one and a half cups of hot water into a bowl
Stir until the salt and sugar crystals dissolve. Once the ingredients are blended, proceed to the next step while you wait for the mixture to cool.
The powdered milk preparation can also be replaced with 1 cup of warm milk
Step 2. In another bowl, pour the yeast, the tip of a teaspoon of sugar and a cup and a half of water
Try dipping your finger in the water - it should be hot, but not hot enough to burn you. Mix it with the sugar and add the yeast, letting the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until you get a foamy consistency.
Step 3. Add the yeast mixture to the milk mixture
Stir with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon. The final blend should be foamy.
Step 4. Add the flour and remaining salt, then mix well with a stiff spatula
You can also use a flat wooden ladle or the leaf hook of a food processor to beat the ingredients. Mix the ingredients until you get a lumpy and slightly sticky dough.
Salt can stop or slow down the yeast's work, which is why you only need to add part of it at the beginning
Step 5. Knead on a floured surface or with a dough hook
If you have a planetary mixer, attach the dough hook and let it work the mixture for 4-5 minutes, until you get a smooth and shiny sphere. If not, sprinkle some flour on a cutting board and lay the dough down. Knead for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is shiny and compact. It should only be slightly sticky and bounce if you press it with your finger. To knead:
- Work while standing, making sure that the dough reaches around your waist. This will allow you to push your weight onto it.
- Fold about half of the dough into itself, as if you were folding a taco.
- Press the dough onto itself with your wrist, "closing" the fold.
- Rotate the dough by a quarter and repeat.
- Continue to fold the dough back on itself, press it and rotate it until you get a shiny sphere.
- If the dough sticks to your fingers excessively, flour your hands and work surface further.
Step 6. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for at least an hour
Place a clean tea towel on the bowl and let it rest while it rises. The size of the dough should double.
If you put it in the fridge, you can let it rise for up to 24 hours. Some believe that this type of leavening improves the flavor of muffins. The next day, all you have to do is shape and bake them
Step 7. Divide the dough into ten evenly sized pieces using a sharp knife, then roll them into balls
These will be the scones, so try to make uniform muffins so that they cook properly. From the dough you can make as many pieces as you want, so first decide the size of the muffins. In any case, this recipe allows you to get ten of them of medium size.
- Lightly flour the knife or your hands if the dough is sticky.
- Remember that the dough expands slightly as it cooks.
Step 8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle a generous amount of cornmeal
Place the balls of dough on it, spacing them about 3 cm (as they will rise and expand). Sprinkle the cornmeal on top of the scones as well to make sure they are crunchy both above and below.
Step 9. Let the muffins rise for another hour
During the procedure, the yeast creates air bubbles inside the dough, causing it to swell. These same bubbles cause the muffins to become porous, allowing to obtain the classic consistency that characterizes them.
If you're in a hurry, you can skip the second leavening process and cook them directly. They will still be good, even if the consistency will not be perfect
Step 10. Preheat a griddle to 150 ° C or a skillet over medium heat
English muffins should be cooked fast enough to get a firm, toasted crust, but also slowly enough to let the inside cook. If you have a soleplate that allows you to select the temperature, set it to 150 ° C. If it's not possible or you prefer to use a cast iron (or non-stick) skillet, set the flame to medium temperature and let it heat up.
Step 11. Once hot, grease the plate with butter
Once you have added the butter, remember that you must proceed quickly with the preparation, to prevent it from burning. You don't need much: half a tablespoon every five or six muffins should be enough.
Step 12. Place the raw muffins on the pan or griddle, about 3 cm apart
All you have to do is spread the balls of dough covered with cornmeal on the hot plate or pan and let them cook. If you have muffin molds, place them on the griddle and slide the dough balls into them to keep them in shape.
The muffin molds are not necessary, but they allow to obtain a more defined shape. Alternatively, you can use cans of tuna (first remove the top and bottom with the help of a can opener)
Step 13. Bake each muffin for 5-6 minutes per side
Turn them over after 5 minutes. By now, the cooked part should be golden brown, but don't worry if it isn't - you can always turn it over to finish cooking if necessary.
Step 14. Once they are golden on both sides, remove them from the griddle and place them on a cooling rack
Make sure the central part is cooked: the outer edge should no longer appear shiny or raw, but solid and cooked. If you find that you have removed them from the plate early, bake them at 180 ° C for 3-4 minutes to complete cooking.
Step 15. Let the muffins cool and then cut them with a fork
To make sure the texture is perfect and the scones are porous, cut them with a fork instead of using a knife. This expedient allows to keep the air bubbles intact.
Method 2 of 2: Variants and Alternative Recipes
Step 1. Mix all the ingredients using a planetary mixer
This simple recipe allows you to mix all the ingredients together. Just pour them into the bowl of a mixer or a planetary mixer. Then, mix them using the leaf hook. Once the ingredients are blended, secure the dough hook and let it work the mixture for 3-4 minutes. Then, let it rise, shape it and cook it as explained in the previous section. You will need:
- 420 ml of warm milk;
- 3 tablespoons of butter;
- 1 ½ teaspoon of salt;
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar;
- 1 large egg lightly beaten;
- 540 g unbleached bread flour;
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast.
Step 2. To make English muffins with a richer texture, add an egg to the recipe
Incorporate it into the milk solution once it has cooled to prevent the egg from cooking. Proceed with the preparation of the recipe as explained in the previous section. Eggs contain fats and proteins that allow you to obtain English muffins with a richer and slightly denser consistency.
Step 3. Use coconut oil, olive oil or butter in place of edible fat
They are all fats used to bind other ingredients and can also be used to subtly modify the flavor and texture of English muffins. In any case, remember that olive oil is the only liquid fat among those listed. This means you should make a solution that is made up of equal parts butter and olive oil rather than using it on its own.
Step 4. Turn the English muffins into crumpets (another type of English muffin) by adding 180ml of milk
The recipe is almost identical, the only difference being that the crumpets require a thinner dough, very similar to that of pancakes. Adding milk allows you to do this, but you need to use muffin molds when cooking. Unlike English muffins, the dough does not hold its shape because it is more watery.
Step 5. To make vegan scones, replace cow's milk with water, almond milk, or soy
You also need to find a substitute for greasing the pan: use olive or canola oil instead of butter. The taste of vegan muffins is the same as that of classic English muffins, especially if you use a milk substitute instead of plain water.
