Toast is a breakfast staple around here, and English muffins are one of my favorite kinds of bread to toast. They come in individual servings, they don’t tend to get crumbs everywhere like a big loaf, and their texture when toasted is just right: not too dry, nor too chewy. Then there’s the added bonus of complementing just about any topping you could come up with. From butter, nut butters, jam, or honey to bacon and eggs or pizza toppings, English muffins are surprisingly versatile.
Recently, most of my English muffins have been made with sourdough, but today I wanted something fluffier and heartier. I know those two words don’t seem to go together, but compared to the sourdough muffins, these have much more of a rise, so there’s just more to them. They are quite delicious fresh from the skillet to the toaster, but don’t burn your mouth!
Making the dough
English muffin dough behaves like any yeast bread dough. Dissolve the yeast in the “wet” ingredients, then stir in the flour and salt. I like to add about 4 cups of flour at first, then the rest 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough gets too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured counter or board. Knead it thoroughly, adding flour as needed, until the ball of dough is smooth and elastic. You want a fairly stiff consistency, so the muffins won’t fall and lose their rise when you transfer them to the skillet.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle some cornmeal onto the counter and roll it out 1/2 inch thick. Don’t worry about making a perfect rectangle; you will be cutting it up anyway. You can make the muffins whatever size you want. If a biscuit cutter seems too small, try using an upside-down glass or small bowl to cut the dough. While the muffins will double their height, they won’t get much bigger in diameter. Combine any remaining scraps of dough and form them into another muffin or two. They don’t all have to be the same size.
Once you have the muffins cut out, place them on cornmeal-covered baking sheets to rise. You don’t need to grease the sheets. The muffins only need 35-40 minutes to rise, but a bit longer isn’t a problem.
Skillet Tips
When the muffins have risen, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cast iron works best. Place muffins in the skillet, making sure both sides are coated with cornmeal. Don’t overcrowd the skillet, but it’s not a problem if the muffins are touching just a little.
If you’ve never cooked anything on a dry skillet, you may have to play around with the temperature, so keep checking your muffins while they cook. I cook mine somewhere between low and medium low, depending on how fast they are cooking–and my level of patience!
Flip the muffins over carefully after the first side has cooked. Don’t squish them down in the pan–you don’t want to lose the rise! It’s best to use a heat-proof spatula to avoid burnt fingers.
In an ideal world, every muffin will get cooked to a nice golden brown on each side, without any gooiness in the center. In my world, either the edges cook too fast and the center gets underdone, or one side ends up much darker than the other, or there’s a diaper explosion and I come back to a smoking skillet…
If the center does seem a bit underdone, you have a few options for recovery. First, you can try putting the muffins back in the pan on low heat. This is only a good option if the edges aren’t already pretty dark.
Second, you can bake the muffins in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Check on them frequently, especially if they were still hot when you put them in the oven.
Third, if the center is only a little underdone, I usually end up just storing the muffins in the refrigerator and toasting them thoroughly when they come out.
Storing English Muffins
You can store your English muffins in an airtight bag at room temperature for about a week. Cool the muffins completely before putting them in a plastic bag. Alternatively, you may store them in the refrigerator. They also freeze very well, and you can toast them straight from the freezer. Breakfast doesn’t get any more convenient than that!
Hearty English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3-3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- cornmeal
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, butter, and milk. Stir in salt.
- Stir in whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is too stiff to stir.
- Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for 6-8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle board with cornmeal. Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cut into rounds and place on cornmeal-covered sheets. Let rise 35-40 minutes.
- Heat a skillet and cook muffins over low to medium-low heat until golden brown on each side and cooked through the center (6-10 minutes per side).
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Notes
For more baking fun, check out this recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles!
Hi, I’m Kimberly! I’m an Alaskan wife and mother who loves simple, old-fashioned living. If you’re looking for country-style recipes from scratch or simple homemaking ideas, pour yourself a cup of tea and join me!