English Muffins

[mom]

Still working on the bread - I don't make bricks any more but sometimes it's great and sometimes its just ok BUT I dug out my oldest cookbook and found a simple recipie for English Muffins - DH doesn't like biscuits but does like English Muffins and I like them as a breakfast sandwich with sausage or so in them - They were wonderful.

I cooked up a lb of sausage and made individual sandwiches and stuck them in the refrigerator for my on the go breakfasts this week. Just popped in the microwave and off I went.

If anyone is interested in the recipie I will post it when I get home from work.

[mom]

Found this one on line which is almost identical to mine

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup melted shortening
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt





Add to Shopping List
Add a Personal Note


DIRECTIONS
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, shortening and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add salt and rest of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise.
Punch down. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, drinking glass, or empty tuna can. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.
Heat greased griddle. Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side on medium heat. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast. Great with orange butter, or cream cheese and jam.

[MotherCharlotte]

Sounds great! I love English muffins too.

I have a recipe that my mom wrote down for me years ago, for English Muffin Loaves. If I have time later I'll type it out.

[mom]

would love to have it

[Shamrock1121]

You can make English Muffins out of almost any substantial (enriched) bread dough, not just English Muffin recipes. So it's a good use if you have a little extra dough.

The trick to the holey texture of English Muffins is to make sure the dough is very well hydrated, much wetter than bread dough, and slightly over-kneaded.

When you knead English Muffin dough, keep a bowl of water on hand and dip your hands into it and knead in as much water as you can.

If you're not getting that holey texture, your dough was dry.

Like cutting biscuits, this is another place I cut the dough with a pizza cutter, and cut square English Muffins. Saves time because you don't have to cut second or third cuts....

Another tip, use semolina instead of cornmeal. Semolina doesn't burn as easily as cornmeal when baking the English Muffins on the griddle.

I use a recipe that calls for yogurt, that smells heavenly when you bake them on the griddle. I've adapted the recipe to make them in the bread machine - using 1/2 the recipe.

HONEY WHOLE-WHEAT ENGLISH MUFFINS
(source: Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cookbook - recipe from Carol Vanier, Georgetown, Massachusetts

1/4 c. honey (I use agave nectar)
1-1/2 c. warm water
2 T. active dry yeast
1-1/2 c. plain yogurt (or kefir)
1/2 c. water
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
7-8 cups whole wheat flour (OR 1/2 whole wheat and half unbleached bread flour)
1/2 c. cornmeal (I use semolina)

In a tall glass, dissolve the honey in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water and honey; stir to dissolve. Set the yeast and water mixture aside to proof for about 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble.

Combine the yogurt with 1/2 c. water and warm slightly to remove any chill. Pour the yeast-water mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the yogurt-water mixture, salt, and soda. Beat in as much of the flour as possible, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is stiff.

Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead in more flour, a little at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky. Form the dough into a ball. Cover it with a bowl and allow it to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough and roll it out to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into rounds about 3 inches in diameter (an empty, washed tuna can works well for this). Sprinkle several cookie sheets with cornmeal and place the cut-out rounds on top of the cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops with additional cornmeal and cover the rounds with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise about 45 minutes.

Lightly grease an electric skillet and preheat it to 300°F. Cook about 6-8 muffins at a time, COVERED, for about 8 minutes on a side or until golden brown. Fork-split the muffins before serving them, fresh or toasted. Allow the English muffins to cool on racks before storing them in plastic bags.

Karen Note: This makes a large amount of English muffins 24-36. I normally make 1/2 the recipe. If I make the whole recipe, I dock half the dough in the refrigerator (after the first rise). If you don't, you'll find the last of the cut English muffins may be over-proofed before they get baked.

-Karen

[mom]

Duh - never in my life have I thought to cut bisquits or english muffins in squares.

[MotherCharlotte]

Here's the recipe:

ENGLISH MUFFIN LOAVES
5 1/2 - 6 cups flour
2 packets yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup warm water
cornmeal

Take 1/4 cups of the warm water with part of the sugar stirred in. Dissolve yeast in this and allow to rise.
Combine 3 cups flour, remaining sugar, salt and soda. Heat remaining liquids till warm. Add to dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff batter.

Spoon into 2 8 x 4 inch loaf pans that have been greased well and sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Let rise for 45 minutes or till doubled.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool. To serve, slice and toast. Makes 16 slices per loaf.

[mom]

Thank you

[MNMOM]

I haven't made english muffins for several years, guess I will have to try out these recipes. Hubby loves Sausage McMuffins, and I usually buy the muffins. I make most of our bread anymore, there's just the two of us so it doesn't take up a lot of my time.