English Muffins

For years I have avoided something.  And that something was yeast!  All recipes that called for yeast were immediately discarded for something more familiar.  When I decided to conquer this demon and give yeast a try, I was pleasantly surprised!  It's really not as hard as it's cracked up to be!  I think the key is getting the temperature of your water just right.  A standard digital kitchen thermometer is your friend here.  Once you know this trick, you're golden!

These English Muffins are so good!  I dare to say better than the famous store-brand!  Another good thing is that this recipe is actually pretty simple!  It's a great recipe for those starting to dabble with yeast.

English Muffins
yield:  about 24 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon honey

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 tablespoon white sugar

1/4 cup melted butter
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it *just* starts to bubble/boil, then remove from heat. Mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and honey stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Stir and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast mixture, melted butter and 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add salt and rest of flour. Knead until you get a soft, smooth dough. About 5-10 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise.  Dough will double in size (about 45 mins).

Gently remove from bowl.  Pat down softly to about 1/2 inch thick. Do not overwork the dough - this is how you get nooks and crannies!  Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter. Grease a baking sheet and dust with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise 40 mins.

Cook muffins in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flip and then cook an additional 8 minutes.  They should be a nice golden brown.

Important:  Use a fork to split.  This also helps to achieve the nooks and crannies!   Toast in the toaster and enjoy!