*chirp, chirp*
*chirp, chirp*
Are those crickets I hear? Yes, the blog has been a little…how shall we say…”quiet” lately. Believe it or not, I have been cooking. But I’ve also been working and planning and traveling and…well, lots of other “-ings.” And all of those other th”ings” have thrown the proverbial wrench in my plans to blog. Drat.
I realize I may have entirely lost anyone who, at one point or another, read my blog. Alas, that would be very sad indeed. So in the hopes of recruiting people back to POTP, I give you…Homemade English Muffins.
Remember when I made that sourdough starter all those weeks ago? Well, I found an excellent use for the leftover starter, replete with Nooks and Crannies. Oh. Yes.
The recipe is super easy, as long as you have a starter going (and if you don’t, starting one is super easy too). I made my muffins with 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 regular flour because, well, you know me. I likes me some whole grains.
So my apologies for my absence — both on this blog and all of yours. I assure you that once I’m a Mrs. in less than two months (!!), the nooks and crannies between my blog posts won’t be so large…
Whole-Wheat Sourdough English Muffins
Make sure your starter is “fed” before you start this recipe. Remove your leftover starter from the refrigerator, add a half cup flour and a half cup water and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. You’ll need 1/2 cup for the recipe and you can save the remainder for a later date.
1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Cornmeal, for dusting
In a large bowl, stir together the starter, 2 cups all-purpose flour and water, mixing until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit out overnight (anywhere from 7-12 hours).
The next morning, add the baking soda, salt and sugar to the dough and gradually add the 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll the dough until about 1/2-inch thick. Use a lightly floured 2-3 inch biscuit cutter and cut the dough into as many rounds as possible. It’s okay to smoosh together the scraps to cut out new muffins.
Sprinkle an ungreased baking sheet with cornmeal. Place the muffins on the baking sheet and cover them with a clean dish towel. Let the muffins rise for about 45 minutes.
Lightly grease a large skillet, wiping away any excess (or you can use a nonstick skillet). Heat the skillet over medium high heat.
Transfer the muffin rounds to the skillet in batches, flat side down first. Cook the muffins for about 5 minutes on each side. The tops and bottoms of the muffins should be light or medium brown when they are cooked through.
Let the muffins cool slightly, then enjoy slathered with butter or your favorite jam! You must let the muffins cool completely before storing them. You can also freeze cooled muffins for up to 3 months.
Yield: ~15 English Muffins (depending on the size of your biscuit cutter)
good to see you are back with a great bread recipe. love it!
We’re still here π While you’re away, we just eat more.
glad you’re still alive and kickin’.
does your starter have a name? i feel strongly that it should. mine proudly goes by ebenezer, and he always does a wonderful job despite sharing his name with mr scrooge. awesome recipe. π
Oh Dana, I’ll always be reading π The only time I’ve had an English muffin is in the States, and they were really good, even when they were mass-produced and squished! π Your muffins looks absolutely perfect!
Nothing like a good english muffin and yours fits the bill. My mom makes them as well and not sure why I haven’t tried them myself. This is a motivating post to do some bread baking. Glad you are back.
Oooh, these look delicious! Wish I had one here for breakfast!
Amazing-looking muffins!
Whooo! 2 MONTHS?! Wow!
Hey, take your time – I’m sure you’re so incredibly busy right now.
I want these English muffins. I adore English muffins, but I have yet to make them.
we’re all here and reading!!!
homemade english muffins? damn…
wow! those are beautiful! i’m impressed!
No need to bribe hon, we’re still here.
I’ve never tried making muffins at home before – yours look great. I could go for one right this second!
These look lovely!
You’re getting mareied this Saturday? Yippeeee!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun π
Amazing – I wish I could have one for breakfast now! I will have to try these.
Beautiful job!
English muffins are practically a “requirement” of any breakfast that I will eat.
And home-made muffins are light years ahead of the cardboard-tasting things they sell in the supermarket.
Our recipe is very similar to yours (my wife’s sourdough “starter” is over 10 years old, she says).
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Hi, Just curious if you have ever made these with milk rather than water. If you have is there a big difference? Thanks!
Caitlin – I’ve only ever made these with water, so I can’t say whether or not milk would work. I think starters tend to work better with water, but I’m not sure how much of a difference it would make in this recipe. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!