From: "Jo in Minnesota" <josiem@tekstar.com>
>Does anyone have a recipe for English muffins, that you
>shape and bake on a griddle?
Here is one of my favorites:
ENGLISH MUFFIN RECIPE
Makes about 20 muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk 1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast (dry or fresh) 4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour 3 tablespoons butter
Corn meal or margarine
Warm milk to "baby bottle" temperature (about 100F.). Stir in honey, salt
and melted
butter. Mix yeast in warm water (same temperature as milk) and stir until
dissolved.
Mix water and milk mixtures together.
Add the whole wheat flour to liquid, plus 2 cups of the white flour. Beat
until it
is a smooth mixture, about 2 or 3 minutes.
Add remaining flour 1/3 cup at a time until dough becomes stiff. Turn on
to floured
surface and knead for 4 or 5 minutes. Dust on more flour as needed to make
dough
manageable. Dough has been kneaded long enough when it is stiff and
elastic enough
to "rebound" when a dent is made in the dough with a light push of a finger.
Place in large bowl and cover with towel or lid. Let rise at room
temperature for 1
to 2 hours until it doubles in volume.
Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. With a rolling
pin, roll
dough out to about a 1/2 inch thickness. With a cookie cutter or glass 3
to 4 inches
in diameter (plastic cups are perfect at 3 1/2"), cut out muffins. Move cut
muffins to a board sprinkled freely with the corn meal. After you have cut out
muffins from the first rolling of the dough, reform the dough scraps and
roll out
again and cut. Repeat process until all the dough has been used or the
dough is too
dry to roll out.
Cover muffins with a towel and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes in a warm
draft free
area.
Very lightly grease a griddle and pre-heat to medium. Carefully place
risen muffins
on griddle, corn meal side down first, and cook for 10 minutes. (Watch
your heat;
muffin bottoms should be lightly golden brown after 4 or 5 minutes. If too
light or
dark, increase or reduce heat as necessary). After 10 minutes on first
side, flip
over and cook the other side of muffin for 10 minutes.
Cool on wire racks. Muffins will keep for 4 or 5 days at room temperature in a
plastic bag, or for several months if wrapped tight and stored in the freezer.
To serve, split with fork. Insert fork around edges of muffin until it
separates
into two halves. Toast under broiler if desired.