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Posts Tagged ‘homemade English muffins’

In My Kitchen, February 2011

Posted in In My Kitchen, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 14, 2011| 42 Comments »

If you’d like to do an In My Kitchen post on your own blog, please feel free to do so!  You’re most welcome to use the same format as I do, and to leave a comment on my monthly IMK post linking back to your blog.   I’d love to see what’s happening in your kitchen every month!

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In my kitchen…

…is a copy of Zen and the Art of Raising Chickens, a gift from my lovely friend Becca, the InTolerant Chef…

In my kitchen…

…is a bag of dark malt flour, a recent discovery from Harkola.  I used a teaspoon in yesterday’s sourdough – it gave the white bakers’ flour a creamy grey tone and added a delicious nuttiness to the finished loaf…

In my kitchen…

…are cornmeal English muffins, made to a modified Dan Lepard recipe.  On Joanna’s advice, I reduced the water in the recipe from 425ml to 300ml.  The slightly drier dough cut well and held its shape in the frying pan…

We ate them with Joy’s delicious plum jam…

…which she made with plums harvested from her dad’s farm…

In my kitchen…

…are treasures from Chefs’ Warehouse.  These 10cm/4″ crumpet rings were calling to me…

…as were these absolutely gorgeous terracotta dishes.  I already had the larger version, and wanted a couple of smaller ones to complete the set.  The little one measures 15cm/6″ in diameter and cost just $5.95.  The dishes are oven safe and clean up perfectly in the dishwasher…

In my kitchen…

…are pots of green apples, being turned into pectin for this year’s jam making.  The apples are from Christina’s dad Lloyd, who was kind enough to give us enough for dozens of jars of pectin, along with several kilos of gorgeous crabapples for jelly!

In my kitchen…

…is a tin of Turkish apple tea.  I’ve been drinking this sweet tangy tea at Turkish restaurants over the past few months, and couldn’t resist buying some for home…

In my kitchen…

…is a basket of green figs from our new neighbour Marco, whose trees are laden and groaning with fruit!

Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen this month?

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English Muffins

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , on March 27, 2010| 19 Comments »

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Maude’s influence again – her oven is broken, which means the only bread she can make at the moment are these English muffins.  She cooks them in a frypan and then finishes them in her toaster oven.

I made a dozen on the weekend, and they were eaten before the day was out.  They’re based on Peter Reinhart’s formula in The Breadmaker’s Apprentice, but use my preferred methodology for mixing yeasted breads.

Makes 12 English muffins
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

  • 600g (4½ cups) bakers or bread flour
  • 15g (1 tablespoon) white sugar
  • 10g (1¼ teaspoons) fine sea salt
  • 10g (2½ teaspoons) instant yeast
  • 30g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 340g – 455g (12 – 16oz)  milk, at room temperature
  • cornmeal for dusting

A note on the milk: I used 420g UHT (long life) milk, at room temperature.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Rub the butter into the flour mix until it’s well incorporated.

2. Add the milk and mix together, first with a spatula and then with a clean hand, scrunching the mix together to form a shaggy dough.  Scrape off your hand, then cover the dough with a tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes (this will make kneading much easier).

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled bench and knead until smooth. (For more information on dough handling, have a look at our Bread Tutorial).  Oil the scraped out mixing bowl, then return the dough to it, cover and allow it to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.

4. Line the bench with a large sheet of parchment paper.  Spray lightly with oil, then dust with cornmeal.

5. Knock back the risen dough and divide it into 12 x 3oz/85g pieces, then shape each piece into a tight ball.  Place these, seam side down, on the parchment paper, allowing room for spreading.  Lightly mist the tops of the balls with oil spray, then sprinkle on more cornmeal.  Cover loosely and allow to rise for a further hour.  Preheat oven to 175C (350F) with fan.

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6. Heat a heavy based frypan over medium heat – we used nonstick.  Using a spatula, gently transfer the risen muffin dough in the pan, keeping the remaining dough covered to prevent it from forming a skin.  Cook for 5 – 8 minutes on each side, or until the dough can’t go any browner without burning.

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7. Transfer the browned muffins to a tray lined with parchment and finish them by baking in the oven for an additional 5 – 8 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining muffin dough.

Our favourite way to eat English muffins? Fork-split, toasted and smothered in fresh butter and a little Vegemite!

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