English Muffins
Prep Time: 1+ hours Cook Time: 20+ minutes Additional Time: 4+ hours
Total Time: 8+ hours
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DOUGH STARTER :
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
FOR THE ENGLISH MUFFIN DOUGH :
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups flour
Cornmeal for dusting
Butter for skillet
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dough starter:
From the dough starter ingredients list, mix the flour, water and yeast in a small Tupperware bowl. Beat with a fork until the batter is smooth, about 100 strokes.
Put a lid on the starter, let rise for at least 4 hours or up to 6 hours. The starter will double in size and become more bubbly the longer it sits. The longer you can let the starter rise, the better the flavor
Make the muffin dough :
After the dough starter rise time, from the English muffin dough ingredient list, in the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer, add the milk and yeast. Add the dough starter into the bowl and use a mix to break up and dissolve into the milk. It will become froth. Set aside
Melt the butter
Add the sugar and salt to the melted butter and whisk until combined
Add mixture to the bowl of your kitchen aid and mix
Add the flour
With a wooden spoon, stir until a shaggy, rough dough forms
Add the dough hook to you kitchen aid mixer
Using medium high speed, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or dough forms a smooth balls and pulls away from the sides of the bowl
With vegetable oil, lightly grease medium size glass bowl and transfer dough
Cover with Saran Wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 3 days
After the rise time, gently dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter or use your hands to shape into smooth, round balls
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cornmeal over a parchment lined baking sheet
Place dough portions on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the dough with more cornmeal. Cover loosely with a towel
Rest and let rise for 2 hours
After 2 hours, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small amount of butter — enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking
Place 4 muffins into the skillet, allow an inch of space between muffins
Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 10 minutes.
Flip the muffins, gently pat down to flatten and cook the other side until golden brown, 10 minutes
Repeat steps 18-20 until all the muffins have been cooked
Place all the cooked muffins back onto the baking sheet
In a 300° oven, bake muffins for an additional 10 minutes
Serve warm