Making homemade English Muffins is oh so satisfying!
With all the ingredients you probably already have, you are well on your way!
Just give yourself some time as all yeast dough recipes will require!
Fun Fact:
Did you know that traditional English Muffins are pan fried not baked?
And they are square not round! Although I have done it both ways, the square cut outs will not give you excess dough waste!
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Notes for Success:
This particular recipe requires two days of prep because we are making a traditional POOLISH style dough!
Basically “pre-fermenting” the dough which gives those English Muffins their signature nooks and crannies!
Frying the English Muffins on a griddle is a really fun authentic way to make these as it is what gives them their signature crust
However you can also bake them in the oven if you prefer!
I decided to use Whole Wheat flour in the recipe below but if you prefer to use plain flour (all purpose flour) just switch it out!
Bread Flour is essential for making proper crusty bread recipes since it has a much higher protein content than other flours
Allowing the creation of strong, elasticity ideal for making chewy, airy bread!
If you don’t have bread flour you can add 1 Tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten for every 2 cups of all purpose flour in the recipe!
Instant yeast does not have to be “proved” in water before using so it gets added right to the dry ingredients!
However this recipe can be interchanged with regular dry yeast if that is all you have!
Just be sure to dissolve it in the warm water and allow it to sit and froth for about 5 minutes to “prove” itself!
English Muffins
Ingredients
For the Poolish:
- ¾ cup Warm Water 55°F (177ml)
- ¼ teaspoon Dry Instant Yeast
- 1⅓ cup Bread Flour 175g
For the Dough:
- 1½ cup Warm Water 90°F (355ml)
- 1 Tbs Dry Instant Yeast 9g
- 3 cups Bread Flour 390g
- 1¼ cup Whole Wheat Flour 162g
- 2 Tbs Vegan Butter 28g
- 1 Tbs Sugar 15g
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- Cornmeal as needed for dusting
Instructions
- DAY ONE: Prepare the poolish by combining the first measure of water, yeast & bread flour together in a medium mixing bowl mixing by hand to a pasty dough
- Cover & refrigerate for 2 hours then remove from the refrigerator & let it sit covered on the counter at room temperature overnight (8 - 10 hours) *I recommend to start this step in the evening timed with your schedule for the next day to proceed approximately 8-10 hours later in the morning
- DAY TWO: In a large mixing bowl combine the second measure of both bread & whole wheat flours with the yeast, sugar & salt.
- With a box grater (or simply cut the butter up into tiny pieces) grate the butter into the flour to distribute it evenly through the flour mixture with your finger tips
- Add the warm water & now the room temperature poolish dough from yesterday & combine everything together very well by hand
- You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this entire recipe if you prefer!
- Knead the dough for 4 minutes then rest for 2 minutes, then knead for 2 more minutes
- Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover & let rest for approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour or until it has almost doubled in size
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface & gently fold it over onto itself several times, almost like you are folding a letter then let it rest on the table for 15 minutes
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 475°F & line a sheet pan with parchment paper
- With a light dusting of cornmeal on the table to prevent sticking, roll the dough to approximately 12" x 12" rectangle & approximately 1/4" thickness
- Cut the dough with either a 3½" cookie cutter for round muffins or slice through the dough evenly into 16 portions (4 X 4 through the entire dough) making each muffin approximately 3" x 3" square
- Heat your skillet on the stove top & once it is very hot place as many muffins as you can fit & cook each one for 1 minute on each side then transfer them to the sheet pan
- Once they are all cooked in the skillet and lined up on the sheet pan bake for the remaining time of approximately 6-8 minutes until golden browned (the internal temperature should be 200°F)
- Remove from the oven & transfer to a wire rack to cool before fork splitting them and toasting them!
Notes
Freeze for up to 1 month