English muffins may not be a Southern staple, but sometimes even the hungriest among us get overloaded on biscuits (blasphemy, perhaps, but it's happened to the best of us). When you've had too many biscuits and gravy and need something a bit lighter, English muffins are here to save the day.
Boxed and bagged English muffins are expensive and loaded with preservatives. Gritty, yet doughy, the texture of packaged English muffins leaves a lot to be desired. So why not banish Sir Thomas and his muffins from your kitchen and make your own nooks and crannies?
English muffin recipes get a bad rap for being complicated and requiring specialized tools (plus the dreaded gram-to-tablespoon conversion). We've come up with an English muffin recipe that's simple to follow and trades pricey English muffin rings for Mason jar screw tops. Add a spoonful of local jam or a drizzle of our region's famous honey to give biscuits a run for their money.
Mighty English muffins
2 tbs. butter (1/4 stick), 2 cups milk, 1 tbs. sugar, 2 tsp. yeast (or 1 package), 1 egg (beaten), 4 cups bread flour, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbs. water, cornmeal, Mason jar rings
Melt the butter in the saucepan. Add the milk and sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. Stir in yeast and egg. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Combine flour and salt in bowl. Add liquid mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. It should feel more like a thick batter than dough. Cover and let rise in warm location for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat griddle on medium-low heat. Grease Mason jar rings.
Quickly combine baking powder and water in bowl then stir the foaming mixture into batter.
Dust griddle with cornmeal. Place rings on griddle with the lip-side up. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each ring.
Cook for about 4 minutes then use tongs to lift rings off the muffin. Continue to cook for about two more minutes until bottom is golden then gently flip muffins. Cook for about 6 more minutes, being careful not to burn them.
Let muffins sit for at least 10 minutes.
Yield: 12 muffins
Keeps for one week
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