CookDiaries

These classic English muffins are crispy on the outside with the classic nooks and crannies you expect from the packaged muffin, but these taste so much better. You don’t even have to toast them when they’re fresh because they are so soft. The dough can also be refrigerated overnight to cook fresh English muffins for breakfast in the morning.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Resting Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Yield: 14

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk minus 1 Tbsp
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp active dry yeast, at room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups bread flour, (*see note 1)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, optional, or use more Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup semolina flour or finely ground cornmeal, for dusting

Instructions

Make the Dough

• Warm the milk in the microwave or a saucepan to 120 ̊F. Stir in butter and honey until melted and cooled to 110 ̊F. Stir yeast into the warm milk mixture until dissolved and set aside for 7-10 minutes to proof and form bubbles on top indicating your yeast is active.
• Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and stir together. Add warm yeast and milk mixture. Beat together on speed 2 with a paddle attachment for 8-10 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. It will be a very wet sticky dough.
• Generously oil a large mixing bowl. Transfer dough into the bowl. It should not be sticking to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm spot (100 ̊F) until it doubles in size, about 2 hours (*see note 2).

Cut the English Muffins

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush with oil, and generously dust with semolina. Dust a clean work surface generously with flour and invert the risen dough over the flour and use your fingers to spread to 1/2” thick.
• Dip your 3” round cutter in flour between cuts to cut out your muffins. Push straight down then twist at the base. Remove them as you cut them out and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Dust the muffins with semolina, cover with a towel, and rest for 20 minutes to lightly puff. If making ahead, instead of the second proof/rising, cover with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cook the English Muffins

• Set English muffins onto a dry cast iron pan or griddle over low heat, cover with a lid, and slowly cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 6 minutes (rotate halfway for even browning and reduce heat if browning too fast). Flip when the surface looks matte and they have puffed. Sauté uncovered for another 4-5 minutes on the second side. The center of the muffin should reach 200 ̊F on a thermometer.
• Transfer to a rack to cool to cool then enjoy or store (*see note 3). To open, poke all around with the tines of a fork the pull the sides apart.

Notes

1. Flour Notes: You can substitute with all-purpose flour, but bread flour has a higher protein content which produces more gluten. Adding whole wheat flour adds more flavor to the dough, avoid too much whole wheat flour, or the muffins will become too firm. Make sure your flour is not expired which can give your muffins a slight bitterness. 
2. Proofing Dough – your house is cool, you can let your dough rise in the oven with the oven light on. The light gives off just enough heat to help the dough along (keep it under 100˚F). Don’t Overproof – if you let your dough rise too much, you will exhaust your yeast and it won’t rise nicely in the final rise.
3. Storing – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or cool and wrap in freezer-safe wrap and freeze.

Nutrition Per Serving

147kcal Calories
25g Carbs
5g Protein
3g Fats