Classic English Muffins

One of my work besties loves to eat an English muffin with cream cheese as a mid-morning pick-me-up. I always know that around 10am she'll be in the kitchen at work toasting an English muffin.

One day, as we chatted in the kitchen, I mentioned to her and my other work bestie that I have made English muffins before and really had enjoyed the process. Both were surprised by this as the majority of times we only see English muffins sold pre-packaged.

Well, this was the perfect time to break out "Classic English Muffins". I had tried the recipe out in the past during a mild obsession with homemade eggs Florentine. The best part of making English muffins is that they get cooked in a pan, no oven required! I doubled the batch so I could keep some at home for my husband (who has recently gotten into a breakfast sandwich kick), and let the dough rest for its first rise.

Once doubled in size, I prepped a sheet tray with parchment, brushed it with a bit of oil and added some medium ground cornmeal. Claire has a brilliant trick for spreading the dough evenly. You take another piece of parchment, lightly oil, and then place that on top. Now, you can use your hands to spread the dough evenly across the pan. I love tips like this!

The dough went into the fridge for an 8-hour cold proof. Once this was done, it was time to start cutting! I use palm-sized circle shaped cutters, but you could always play with the shape. Who says it has and English muffin has to be round? Maybe in your home they are star shaped or heart shaped. I lightly oiled the cutter before getting in there. As I went along, I gathered any scraps to gently pressed them together to ensure there was no waste. Once they were cooked (6-8 minutes on each side on a low-medium heat, cooked until golden brown on both sides) I placed them on a rack to cool.

Note: while you don't want to overwork the dough at this stage, at risk of releasing the air needed for lift, make sure you watch the size of the muffins made from the scraps. Those ended up being bigger for me and I ended up with a couple that were a bit doughy. Ensure that you give a bit of extra time if any get a bit bigger. It's a bit of a delicate dance with the temp on the stove, but it becomes easier to control after doing a few.

Once the muffins had cooled a bit, I pricked a dotted line along the circumference of the muffins. That allows you “cut” and then open up the muffins to reveal all of the nooks and crannies!

Note: Scalding the milk at the beginning of the recipe is what gives English muffins their classic nooks and crannies!

The homemade versions end up having this really lovely buttery dimension, and nice chew. They are also softer and more fluffy than those you can get in store.

Both my work besties and husband loved these English muffins. I had cut them, and stored them in the freezer (in sealed freezer bags). They were gone within a few weeks!

If you are so inclined, give English muffins a try. You could even add a poached egg and a little hollandaise (there are even some recipes to create hollandaise in the blender if making hollandaise on the stove gives you palpitations). Or top it with a fried or scrambled eggs and a meat of your choice.

They are also great toasted with butter and jam. Or there's the cream cheese move. Do what feels right to you!