Homemade English Muffins
annie1992
5 years ago
I've made English muffins before, and they were very good, but lacked that airy texture with the nice holes to catch butter. I got a new recipe from Red Star Yeast, 4 Grain English Muffins, so I thought I'd give those a try.
Baked on my electric griddle, they rose nicely:
Browned well:
And toasted nicely:
Actually, I thought this one should be a little more "toasty", but Ashley ate it and she likes her bread basically warm, not very toasted, just warm enough to melt the butter.
However, they still weren't very "hole-y", even though I split them with a fork just as instructed. Are homemade English Muffins just denser than the commercial ones? Mine had much better flavor, but the texture just was more like English Muffin Bread than English Muffins. Any more liquid and I would have had to pour them into forms, like batter...
Annie
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bragu_DSM 5
5 years ago
Olychick
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI've made them for years with rings and never could get the holes right either. I suspected that the dough needed to be much moister, more like pancake batter that forms holes as they cook. But you need the rings to keep their shape with dough so runny.
I just searched for recipes by photo and found this, based on an Alton Brown recipe...this is how I want mine to look...guess I'll be prompted to try again.
http://shesimmers.com/2009/03/homemade-english-muffins-complete-with-nooks-and-crannies.htmlRelated Discussions
English Muffins
Comments (16)I make crumpets with rings, but cut English Muffins with a cookie or biscuit cutter to the size I want them. Both are baked on a griddle. Crumpets (cooked in rings) are more like a tough pancake and you need to toast them in a toaster or toaster oven to serve, after they were baked on the griddle. You don't split crumpets. I cut English Muffins into squares using a pizza cutter to avoid second-cuts. Second-cuts are cut from the dough left after you cut the dough the first time. You gather it up and re-work it to cut another batch or rounds. This is the #1 cause of tough English Muffins (or biscuits). The trick to English Muffins is to have a well-hydrated dough so you get the open/holey texture. Before I adapted my favorite English Muffin recipe to the bread machine, I would knead the dough with wet hands (just have a bowl of water handy to dip your hands in). Any substantial bread dough can be made into English Muffins. It doesn't require a special recipe, just special hydration, cutting and baking on a griddle. Another tip is to bake them on a griddle where you can cover them for the baking of the first side (bake about 8-minutes), then flip, and bake UNcovered for the other side. I have a large electric griddle that can accommodate a large number of muffins, and the lid to my roaster fits over it for baking the first side of English Muffins. Don't cut English Muffins with a knife, use a "fork" (aka English Muffin Splitter) to split them apart. Otherwise you will destroy the open crumb. A problem people often make is not having enough griddle space to keep up with the number of muffins in the recipe, and will find the last of the batch has over-proofed from the long wait to be baked, and they get poor-quality muffins. If your recipe is large, make half a recipe or retard half the dough, or retard a portion of the cut English Muffins in the refrigerator while working with the first portion. I made homemade yogurt yesterday just so I could make English Muffins today. LOVE the smell of them baking!!! -Grainlady...See MoreEnglish Muffins and Crumpets
Comments (18)Traditional crumpet recipes, but not nearly as tasty, or as quick and easy to make as sourdough crumpets (I linked above). CRUMPETS 1/2 c. warm 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 t. sugar 1 c. milk 2 T. butter 1/2 t. salt 2 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 t. baking soda 1 T. tepid water In a large mixing bowl combine warm water and yeast. Add sugar and stir to dissolve yeast. Set aside. In a small saucepan heat 1/2 c. of the milk and the butter until the butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in salt and remaining 1/2 c. milk. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir to blend. Mix in flour with wooden spoon. The batter will be very lumpy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and secure with an elastic band. Set aside to rise for 1-1/2 hours or until the bubbling action slows and the mixture begins to collapse in on itself. Place 4 crumpet rings on a griddle, allowing the sides to touch. Set over medium heat and spray all surfaces lightly with vegetable oil. Dissolve the baking soda in the tepid water and stir into the batter. The batter will be moist and ropy. When the griddle is hot, take up by scant quarter-cupfuls and pour into the rings. Spread to the sides with the back of a spoon. As the batter begins to set, carefully rotate the rings to ensure even cooking. When the surface of the crumpets is covered with holes and no longer looks wet (about 3 minutes), remove the rings with tongs. Turn the crumpets over and continue cooking for about 1-minute, until the surface is lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining batter, spraying the rings and griddle before each batch. Cool crumpets on a wire rack. Toast to serve. Makes 10 ORANGE CRUMPETS 1/2 c. warm water 1 pkt. active dry yeast 1 t. sugar 2/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice 1/3 c. milk 2 T. butter, melted 1 t. finely grated orange zest 1/2 t. salt 2 c. all\-purpose flour 1/2 t. baking soda 1 T. tepid water In a large mixing bowl combine warm water and yeast. Add sugar and stir to dissolve yeast. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, milk, butter, orange zest, and salt. Whisk to combine, then stir into the dissolved yeast. Add the flour and mix in with a wooden spoon. Follow the same procedure listed in the recipe above to complete the crumpets. Makes 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Almost any bread recipe will make holey, moist, chewy English muffins. The dough should be slightly over\-kneaded and much wetter than bread dough. Keep a bowl of water handy to dip your hands in while kneading the dough in order to keep it well\-hydrated, rather than kneading in flour. HONEY WHOLE-WHEAT ENGLISH MUFFINS (source: Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cookbook) 1/4 c. honey 1-1/2 c. warm water 2 T. active dry yeast 1-1/2 c. plain yogurt 1/2 c. water 1 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 7-8 c. whole wheat flour (you can use 50/50 whole wheat and unbleached/bleached all-purpose flour for a less-hearty English muffin) 1/2 c. cornmeal (I omit this and use semolina instead) In a tall glass, dissolve the honey in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water/honey; stir to dissolve. Set the yeast and water mixture aside to proof for about 10-minutes, or 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 hours, until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and roll it out to a thickness of about 1/2-inch. cut the dough into rounds about 3-inches in diameter. 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 wax paper or a clean towel [Grainlady note: use plastic wrap that has been sprayed with PAM. It works much better than wax paper or towel - this dough likes to stick to whatever covers it.] Allow the dough to rise about 45-minutes. [Grainlady note: I retard about half of the cut muffins in the refrigerator on cookie sheets because I can't get them baked in good order before the last of the batch over-proofs. Even using my large electric griddle.] Lightly grease an electric skillet and preheat it to 300-degrees F. (If you don't have an electric skillet, e a lightly greased cast-iron skillet over medium heat on top of the stove.) Cook bout 6-8 muffins at a time, COVERED, for about 8-minutes on each side or until golden brown. FORK-split [don't use a knife, use an English Muffin Fork, or table fork, to split the muffins) before serving them, fresh OR toasted. Allow the English muffins to cool on racks before storing them in plastic bags. Variations: I. Before allowing the dough to rise the first time, add 2 t. cinnamon and 1 to 1-1/2 c. raisins, knead, and place under a bowl on a floured surface. continue with the recipe as above. II. For lighter muffins, use unbleached all-purpose flour in place of half the whole-wheat flour. Makes 24-36 muffins - depending on size. [Grainlady note: Cut the recipe in half and make it in a bread machine on the dough cycle. Remove from the bread machine AS SOON AS the machine has finished kneading the dough and then proceed as above from the point where the dough is proofed after kneading.] ENGLISH MUFFINS (source: Recipes from the Old Mill \- Sarah E. Myers and Mary Beth Lind) Yield: 15\-18 muffins 1\-1/2 c. warm water 1 pkg. active dry yeast 2 T. sugar 1 t. salt 1/4 c. oil 1/2 c. instant nonfat dry milk powder 1 egg 2 c. whole wheat flour 2\-1/2 \- 3 cups flour 1\. Dissolve yeast in warm water. 2\. Add sugar, salt, oil, dry milk, and egg. Mix well 3\. Add whole wheat flour and enough flour to make a stiff dough. 4\. Knead until well mixed, about 2\-5 minutes. 5\. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise until double, approximately 1\-hour. 6\. Punch down. Turn onto lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest 15\-minutes. 7\. Roll dough about 3/8" thick. Cut dough into 3\-inch circles. 8\. Dip both sides of circles in a pan of cornmeal; place circles on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise about 30\-45 minutes. 9\. Using an ungreased electric frying pan set at 350\-375\-degrees F, cook muffins for 8\-minutes on each side. 10\. To serve, split muffins horizontally with tines of a fork....See MoreAnother busy day in the kitchen..
Comments (6)LOL Thanks Shelly! I ended up making pumpkin drop cookies and a batch of sweet potato muffins. The pumpkin and sweet potatoes are in the freezers. The cornbread is done, I made biscuits last night, and the beans are basically done....just need to hold out til Hubby is home in about 45 minutes. I almost have the kitchen cleaned up too. LindaC, at the rate I've been at it today..by 9pm I'll be in bed asleep..LOL...See MoreEnglish Muffins anyone ?
Comments (27)Tobygirl ~ I grew up on a small farm where we learned to "Make Do" with things we made, raised or grew ourselves... and been doing that for most of my life...even though now I don't have to do it, I love to do it and am so grateful that I learned at my grandma's and mom's side to be somewhat self sufficient with what God has so richly blessed us with. Juelle, Making yeast breads and rolls just take a bit of practice.. and once you learn the basics, then you can start to play with your food and come up with your own creations or variations... There are even some bread recipes that don't require kneading the dough... just make the batter and let it rise and voila.. there you have it. Carolyn...See More
Islay Corbel
5 years ago
colleenoz
5 years agoOlychick
5 years ago
PROLars/J. Robert Scott
5 years ago
jerzeegirl (FL zone 9B)
5 years agoIslay Corbel
5 years agoUser
5 years agoartemis_ma
5 years agoOlychick
5 years agoartemis_ma
5 years agoUser
5 years ago
2ManyDiversions
5 years agoannie1992
5 years agoIslay Corbel
5 years agoJakkom Katsu
5 years ago
Islay Corbel
5 years agoLars, have you cut your crumpets in half?
Here is my breakfast toasted muffin waiting for its pear jam. Yum.
2ManyDiversions
5 years agoLars
5 years agoIslay Corbel
5 years ago
foodonastump
5 years agoIslay Corbel
5 years agobragu_DSM 5
5 years agoUser
5 years agoannie1992
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
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