I can't believe I haven't posted in almost two weeks! Things have been so crazy around this place lately. Fall hit and man it hit this house hard. With two kiddos in preschool we got wiped out with a series of stomach bugs and a bout with food poisoning for the hubby from some take-out. I am just reemerging and feeling like my brain is back in order!
I have been wanting to share this recipe with y'all for over a month. I made these amazing English muffins in mini form for Hondo's first birthday brunch. I sliced them, stuck a fresh sausage patty and some cheese in between the halves and made delightful, kid-friendly "breakfast burgers" as part of his party menu. (I know, I know, I haven't shared his birthday party with you, but I WILL I PROMISE).
They were such a hit at his party that a few weeks later when we hosted a handful of friends for a brunch I made them again (in full size form this time) and they were perfect toasted with butter or with eggs on top or sliced and filled with cheese and bacon and eggs and sausage and all kinds of deliciousness.
You might be thinking, those all sound great, can't I just use some store-bought Thomas's ones? Um, of course. Those are delicious and have been my favorite, until I made these. Its like making the bagels (though much easier and quicker), for me, there is something so wonderful about knowing exactly what ingredients went into them, the quality of the ingredients I choose, and really, almost everything tastes better fresh. Especially bread. There is nothing like fresh, hot bread, broken open and covered with butter. Or maybe that's just me...
In any case, these are worth giving a shot, don't be intimidated. Plus, no one thinks about how English muffins are made and it can give you some serious kitchen-cred when you just drop into conversation that you made your English muffins from scratch. Fun-fact y'all, they are cooked on a skillet, not in an oven.
English Muffins
Makes about a dozen
Ingredients:
- 1 cup hot water (around 110° - I run my water until its as hot as I can get it)
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp approximately)
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tbs. butter, melted
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and sugar. Pour in the warm water (and give one stir to make sure its all off the bottom and edges of the bowl) and let stand for 5 minutes until frothy.
*As always, if the yeast doesn't froth after five minutes, its dead. Toss it and start again with new yeast.
Add 1 cup of the flour and 1 tbs. of the melted butter. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir together until combined. Add the second cup of flour and salt, stir for about five minutes until well mixed.
Using a bit of the melted butter, brush one side of a piece of plastic wrap. Then place the buttered side down on top of the dough and set it in a warm place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
*As always, go for size over time. Temperature and humidity can affect how long it takes for dough to rise so if its not doubled in size after 30 minutes, wait longer.
Sprinkle a large baking sheet with some of the cornmeal and then brush an ice cream scoop or large spoon with the melted butter (I just dip mine right into the butter).
Then punch down the dough and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed, this is a sticky dough. Then using your greased spoon or scoop, drop 1/4 cup sized dollops of dough directly onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Try to get them to as round as you can, you can use your fingers (floured) to shape them a bit if you want. Repeat with all the dough and then sprinkle the tops with cornmeal.
Set the baking sheet aside and let the dough rise again for about 20 minutes in a warm place until puffy. You can cover it with a light, dry dish cloth or waxed paper if you like.
In the meantime, heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a pastry brush, grease the griddle with melted butter (careful not to let the griddle get too hot and brown your butter).
Then, using a firm spatula, lift the puffed dough off of the cookie sheet and onto the griddle and allow it to cook like a pancake. Once the bottom has cooked to a golden brown (5-7 minutes), flip the muffin over and cook the other side to a golden brown.
You can slice them in half, or to get those "nooks and crannies" use a fork to pull the halves apart instead.