Posts Tagged ‘English Muffins’





English Muffins

Thursday, December 30th, 2010






My Little English

Muffin




I grew up with English Muffins for breakfast. I think I heard it said that my mom used to make them from scratch, but all I remember are boxes of Thomas English Muffins or various other brands in tubular bags loaded with muffins stacked one on top of the other. We cut the treats with a fork and toasted them in the oven until the tallest points were crisp and brown and the rest of the muffin was warm and chewy. Eggs Benedict was a favorite in our house, with the English Muffin as the basis for that whole, yummy egg concoction.


I did a little research, out of curiosity, to see where this muffin originated and got conflicting reports. According to Wikipedia, they originated in England and may have been around as long as the 10th century, however, they didn’t become fashionable until the late 1800’s. It stated that these muffins were and are served as a staple part of “tea”. But according to Foodreference.com The English swear that they never heard of them until these muffins were imported to England from America. It appears that Wikipedia may have confused English Muffins with Crumpets. Crumpets are a flatter, chewier, spongier version and really are a “tea” staple in England.


Foodreference.com joked that perhaps a pitiful English baker named Thomas, messed up his mother’s crumpet recipe – probably added too much flour – and produced the English Muffin instead. Who knows. It makes a good story though!


About a month ago, one of the active participants on the MaryJane FarmGirl Connection challenged all of us “Farmgirls” to a bread baking day. What fun. We were told to make something that we had never tried before. It was a blast reading recipes that were shared and seeing photos of the results. What a wonderful group of women. It was with that challenge, that I decided to try my hand at English Muffins. The following is the result and I must say, “Oh my!!” A pat of butter and some strawberry jam and you might as well leave me to meditatin’. These were very easy to make and I encourage you to give it a try. You will love the results. No more ‘store boughten’ for me!!!!


English Muffin Recipe



1 cup water
1/2 cup scalded milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast [or 1 tbsp loose yeast]
4 cups flour
3 tbsp softened butter


Printable Recipe


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Scald milk in a small sauce pan



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Dissolve yeast, 3-5 minutes, in 2 tbsp warm water



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In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup water, scalded milk, sugar and salt and stir. Add in the activated yeast mixture.



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Sift flour before measuring and then slowly beat in 2 cups of the flour. Beat until batter is smooth



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Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the sponge rise in a warm place about 1 1/2 hours or until the sponge has risen and then collapsed back on itself. Notice the level to which the batter rose and then fell.


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Beat in 3 tbsp of softened butter and add the remaining flour. I knead the dough in my mixer with the dough hooks for about 6 minutes.



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Pour the really sticky dough out onto an Oklahoma Pastry Clothâ„¢ or other floured surface.



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You can carefully roll out the dough to cut with a tuna can or large biscuit cutter, or you can just pinch off some dough to pat into well-greased muffin rings that have been placed on a cookie sheet covered with buttered or oiled foil and sprinkled with cornmeal. I experimented here with the rings, a tuna can that had been defrocked of it’s top and bottom and no kind of ring at all. Hands down, the muffin rings were the easiest things to work with. The tuna cans worked ok but were too deep and the ones without a ring were a disaster. I have, therefore, stocked my kitchen with 3 sets of muffin rings. Anyway, cover the cookie sheet of filled rings with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled.



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When dough has doubled, gently lift the rings and dough from the foil and place into a hot skillet or griddle that has been well buttered or oiled.



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Slide the rings off of the muffins and fry until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the muffins to the other side and only cook once on each side.



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Cook on second side until golden brown



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Cool on a baking rack



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Cut muffins in half by using the tines of a fork. Toast in a toaster oven, or spread with butter and fry in a skillet, pressing down into the skillet to form a crispy, buttery surface.



I don’t care where these precious breads were invented or if they were just a mistake on the part of a bad English baker who immigrated to the US, they are delicious and a real treat. Next post, I’ll show you something that you can do with them that will thrill the kids. Until then….

Happy Cooking!!

MB

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