DTDinner Table

English Muffins

· Prep 45 minutes (plus ~3 hours rest/ferment) · Cook 20 to 30 minutes

Per serving: 245 cal · 7 g protein · 45 g carbs · 4 g fat

servings

  • Preferment

    1½ cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (≈190 g) - plus 4 teaspoons
  • ¾ tsp instant yeast (≈2 g)
  • ½ cup lukewarm milk (≈152 g) - whole preferred, 90°F; plus 3 tablespoons
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water (≈102 g) - 90°F; plus 3 tablespoons

  • Dough

    1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (≈120 g)
  • 1 tsp table salt (≈6 g)
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar (≈4 g)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter (≈18 g) - melted; plus 1 teaspoon
  • 2-3 tbsp yellow cornmeal (≈20 g) - for dusting

Instructions

  1. Make the preferment: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, milk, and water until smooth, like thick pancake batter.
  2. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 to 4 hours, until bubbly. Longer ferment, more flavor.
  3. Make the dough: Add the flour, salt, sugar, and melted butter to the preferment and mix into a soft, sticky dough. With a wet hand, work it against the side of the bowl until it smooths out and turns tacky.
  4. Bowl fold: stretch the bottom of the dough up and over the top, working 6 to 8 times around the bowl, until it resists stretching.
  5. Flip smooth side up, round it against the bowl to build tension, cover, and rest somewhere warm for 1 hour.
  6. Fold and round again, then rest 1 more hour, until very puffy.
  7. Ease the dough onto a cornmeal-dusted surface, deflate gently, dust the top, and pat into a circle 1/2” thick.
  8. Cut 4 rounds with a 3 1/2” cutter, then pinch the scraps together, flatten, and cut 2 more.
  9. Move the rounds to cornmeal-dusted parchment, cover, and rest until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.
  10. Preheat a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat (or a griddle to 350°F). Too hot and the outsides brown before the centers cook.
  11. Cook until the bottoms are browned and the sides look matte, 10 to 15 minutes, then flip and repeat.
  12. Cool on a wire rack. Fork-split for the best nooks and crannies.

Notes