Homemade English Muffins

Everyone loves English Muffins. Great with apple butter, homemade of course, butter or for Eggs Benedict for sure. I have tried a couple of ways and found these come out nice and fluffy and raise up quite well. I am not sure everyone will be happy with one of the ingredients but it is what it is. That ingredient happens to be lard. I am sorry but there just isn't anything like it. Just like with the pie crust that I have posted before, nothing works quite right without it. If you really must substitute use Crisco shortening or butter but let me know how you make out with it. So you will need that and some of that homemade buttermilk we have made in a previous post and lets get to it! Here is the list of all what you will need:

 

2 1/4 cup of unbleached flour

1/2 tablespoon of sugar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 tablespoon of lard

1 cup to 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (homemade or store bought)

corn meal

 

Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in bowl.

Add the lard (or shortening) and rub the flour together till well incorporated.

Add buttermilk till dough holds together and transfer to lightly floured surface and knead till smooth.

Put back in bowl, cover and let rise for about 90 min till doubled. Divide into about 6 pieces and make little rounds on to parchment paper (or wax paper) spritzed with oil or +PAM Cooking Spray and dusted with cornmeal. Spritz again on top and sprinkle more cornmeal on top, cover and let rise again for an hour to hour half.

Now you can either use a griddle or use a cast iron pan like I did. Heat on medium and gently pick up your dough and place on the pan or griddle.

Cook for about 5-8 min each side, twice or more till firm but not hard. Be gentle on the first flip! Reason for this is so you don't scorch them! See how they just puff up?

Toast them up and pass the butter please! Remember, you don't cut them open, you pierce the sides with a fork all the way around and pull apart. If you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer them! These really are not hard to do. There is more time waiting for them to rise than anything else. The quantity of ingredients cost next to nothing compared to store bought plus you made them! Frankly I think they taste better and seem much fresher!

 

Enjoy!

Stephanie

 

www.webdees.com