English Muffins

English Muffins
Category:	Bread recipes
Servings:	~18 muffins
Time:	2 hours
Difficulty:

 | Breakfast Cuisine | Vegetarian Cuisine | Bread |

These are a favourite for breakfast, with butter, or jelly on top.

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm (105°-115°F) milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup warm (105°-115°F) water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
• cornmeal

Procedure

1. Combine milk, sugar, salt and margarine.
2. Measure water into large warm bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until dissolved.
3. Stir in milk mixture and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth.
4. Add enough additional four to make a stiff dough.
5. Turn out onto floured board and knead about 2 minutes, or until dough is manageable and can be formed into a ball. The dough may be slightly sticky.
6. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
7. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
8. Punch dough down; divide in half.
9. On a board, heavily sprinkled with cornmeal, pat each half into a ½-inch thickness.
10. Cut into circles with a floured 3-inch cookie cutter.
11. Place on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
12. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in size, about ½ hour.
13. Place on lightly greased medium hot griddle or skillet, cornmeal side down.
14. Bake until well browned, about 10 minutes on each side.
15. Cool on wire racks.

• To serve, split in half and toast.

Tips, Notes, and Variations

• You can also start the dough by mixing the yeast, the dry ingredients, and half or more of the flour, with the liquids at 145°-150°F, then continuing the rest of the instructions.
• After punching the dough down, many bakers let it rest 10 minutes.
• ½ cup of currants may be added to the warm milk mixture.
• You can substitute 1½ cups whole wheat flour for 1½ cups of the all-purpose flour.