One of my favorite cookbook authors and culinary mentors is Marion Cunningham. I do not own one of her famous Fannie Farmer Cookbooks, but have most of her other books and have used them over and over. I tend to use cookbooks and recipes as inspiration and a guideline. I have learned that some techniques do require specific formulas and ratios to come out perfectly. Baking tends to be one of the culinary arts that one does need to stick with the formula while still adding bits of creativity and individuality here and there.
My husband loves English Muffins. They are part of his morning breakfast routine and have been for years. Although it does not take extraordinary effort to make homemade English Muffins, I do not make them as often as I would like to.
This recipe makes about a dozen and is adapted from Marion Cunningham’s “The Breakfast Book”.
1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg or heaping TBL of yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL sugar
1 cup warm milk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer locally milled flour from Janie’s Mill)
3 TBL vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornmeal (Janie’s Mill)
Pour water into large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast and stir. I add a sprinkle of sugar to feed the yeast and let it set to make sure the yeast is good and active (called proofing the yeast). Let stand for about 5 minutes, then stir in the rest of the sugar, salt, warm milk, two cups of flour and oil. Stir briskly with a spoon ( I prefer wooden) and mix well. Add the remaining flour and stir to blend smoothly. This dough is very soft. Oil or butter a large mixing bowl and turn the dough into that for the rise. Cover and let the dough rise until double in bulk (about 1 hour). You may also refrigerate the dough to make the next day.
Flour a work surface and your hands. Put the dough onto workspace and add a little flour if it is too sticky. Knead the dough only 3 or 4 times and pat it out to about 1/4”. I use an empty rinsed-out tuna can as the cutter. I think an egg-poaching ring might work well too. Oil the cutter and place the muffins at least 1″ apart on a tray that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Cover the muffins lightly and let rest for about 1/2 hour. Oil a griddle and heat to medium. Cook muffins for about 10 minutes on the first side, then turn carefully and cook for about another 5 minutes on the other. Remember that you will be slicing and toasting the muffins so they will only be lightly golden. Be sure they are cooked through and remove them from heat.
Slice, toast and enjoy! (This makes me smile!)