English Muffins

By á-174535

Homemade English muffins have the perfect nooks and cranny's for your butter and jam, or the perfect bookends for a yummy sandwich.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons wheat bran
• 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup (see Note)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing the griddle and for serving
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• Butter and jam, for serving at breakfast; ham and cheese for serving as a melt later in the day

Preparation

Step 1

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the milk and water and heat at high power in 30-second bursts until just warm to the touch. Stir in the yeast and 1 1/4 cups of the flour. Cover and let stand until billowy, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the the wheat germ, wheat bran, barley syrup, salt and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead until smooth, kneading in up to 1/3 cup of flour as necessary to make a silky, supple dough. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it's doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and let rise until it is doubled again, 1 hour longer.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large cast-iron griddle over low heat. On a work surface dusted with cornmeal, pat out the dough 3/4 inch thick. Using a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 7 rounds as close together as possible. Gently pat the scraps together and stamp out 1 more round. Brush the griddle with butter. Griddle the muffins on moderately low heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes total.

Transfer the muffins to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and cooked through; an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the muffins should register 195°. Let cool completely. Using a fork, split the muffins horizontally and toast until golden. Serve with butter and jam, or ham and cheese.

Make ahead:

The English muffins can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes:

Earthy barley malt syrup is a natural sweetener that's available at health food stores and some specialty food stores.