Making English Muffins at Home

I honestly can not believe how easy it is to make your own English Muffins. I'd love to show you how. I got this recipe from Damaris Phillips host of Southern at Heart.

Here is what you'll need.

4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
3 TBSP sugar
1 1/4 ounce packed instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 TBSP coconut oil plus more for the bowl and dough
Coarse cornmeal for sprinkling
Cooking spray
Butter and jam for serving

Photo Credit: CK Worley

First whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt
in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg
but don't stir it in yet.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Heat the milk and coconut oil in a saucepan until a thermometer reads 110 degrees. If the milk is too
hot when you add it to the flour mixture it will kill the yeast.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Avoid pouring it directly on the egg. You don't want the hot milk to cook it!
Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, if needed.  The dough will look a little irregular in texture.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, soft and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large bowl lightly oiled with coconut oil, rub the top of the dough with a little more coconut oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and set aside. After the dough rises, punch it down and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a 3 inch disk. Place the disks on the baking sheets. (The baking sheets are just a staging area for the disks. You won't be using them to cook on.)




Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coast the skillet with cooking spray and liberally sprinkle with cornmeal. Working in batches, cook the muffins until they are deep golden brown, 5-9 minutes per side. If they start to rise in a domed fashion, flatten them with a spatula. Let the English muffins cool completely then split open with a fork, toast and serve with butter and jam.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

The song "Oh do you know the muffin man" came from an era where a man would walk the streets during tea time to sell muffins from a wooden tray. I used to sing that song all the time when I was a kid. Never realizing he sold English Muffins.