English Muffins

I know it seems like I have fallen off the planet, but I'm here.  I promise.  It's just been an exceptionally busy couple of weeks.  I had the best intentions.  After all, English Muffins and Marmalade go together perfectly.  And then, one day turned into two twelve, and well, here we are.  But we don't have to worry too much.  After all, if you preserved your marmalade, then it is still perfectly good and you can enjoy it on a freshly toasted muffin.

Now I'm sure you're an English Muffin eater.  Of course you are.  After all, who could possible resist all of those delightful nooks and crannies?  But i'm guessing it has probably never occurred to you to make them.  If it has, well then you should probably stop reading this and go finish making your homemade cheeses or olive oil or whatever.  Otherwise, please follow me.  We have some English Muffins to make.

For me, this all started quite innocently.  In fact, I was simply checking out at the local Whole Foods and just happened to stumble across the Holiday Edition of Cook's Illustrated.  I have to admit: I have a very soft spot for these magazines.  I love the recipes, and I love the discussions about why they made changes.  On flipping through, I found it.  A recipe for English Muffins.  And I was thrilled.  And, oops, that magazine just wanted to come home with me so badly.  How can I possibly blame it for jumping into my basket?

As most of you know, I enjoy have an obsessive need to tweak recipes.  One idea tends to trigger another, and it becomes one big jumbled mess of flavors in my head.  In this recipe, though, I really didn't feel the need to tweak much of anything.  It is wonderful as is, and results in delightfully nooks-and-cranny filled muffins.

The only truly weird part about this recipe will be the fact that you cook the raw dough before baking it. Did any of you ever wonder how they get those muffins to be flat and perfectly browned on the outside?  Well, you are about to find out.  I do apologize though.  Because if you decide to try these, I would bet that you will have been ruined for store-bought English Muffins forever.

English Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking 2011

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup milk (while they call for whole milk, 2%/low-fat milk works just fine), room temperature
1/3 cup water, room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons honey
3 1/2 cups (19 1/4 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
cornmeal
vegetable oil or spray

If using a stand mixer:
Whisk milk, water, butter, and honey together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  With mixer on low speed, add liquid mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add flour one teaspoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to the bottom.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.  Transfer dough to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

If mixing by hand:
Whisk liquid ingredients together in a bowl.  In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.  Stir liquid mixture into dry mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until dough comes together in a shaggy ball.  Turn dough out onto a counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, 15-25 minutes, adding more flour as needed to develop a smooth, supple dough.  Transfer to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make muffins:
Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet.  Turn dough onto a clean counter, and, using hands, stretch into an even 12-inch log.  Divide into 12 even pieces and cover.  Shape each piece into a smooth, taught roll and place onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Mist rolls with spray oil and cover loosely, allowing to rise until nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Gently press rolls flat, 3/4 inch thick with a metal spatula.  Dust muffin tops with cornmeal and cover.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for two minutes.  Carefully lay four muffins in pan and cook until bottoms are darkly browned, 3-5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on muffins to prevent doming.  Flip muffins, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook 2-4 minutes, until both sides are browned.  Transfer muffins immediately to a baking sheet in the oven and bake 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining muffins.  Let cool on wire rack.  Split muffins with a fork and toast before serving.