Bread #8: Claire's English Muffins

Good afternoon bread bakers!

Today I am baking Claire’s English Muffins from the Bon Appetite Test Kitchen.  If you haven’t watched one of Claire's videos, she’s funny, self-deprecating and entertaining while at the same time very knowledgeable.  I love learning from her.  One thing that I learned is that English muffins fall into a category of baked goods that are griddled – kind of like pancakes.  I like knowing these tidbits of food-related information.  Better get started making the dough; it has an overnight rise in the fridge.  I’m looking forward to the morning when the dough will be ready to form, griddle and bake just in time for breakfast.

Here is the recipe.  Please bake Claire’s English Muffins with me.

Special Tools you will need:

Heavy duty mixer such as a Kitchenaid

 Here are the ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoon oil
3 ½ cups unbleached bread flour, divided, plus more
Non-stick vegetable oil spray
Cornmeal (for dusting)

Proof yeast: In a small bowl, mix warm water with yeast and sugar.  Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. 

Make dough: Pour yeast mixture in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook.  Add buttermilk, salt, butter, oil, and 3 ½ cups flour and beat on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.  Increase speed to medium and beat until dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. The dough will still be wet and sticky.

First Rise:  Spray a medium bowl with nonstick spray, transfer dough to greased bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Chill overnight.  The cold rise makes the dough easier to handle, produces better flavor, and creates more nooks and crannies.

Shape English muffins: Dust 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets generously with cornmeal (cover all of the parchment).  Spray a clean work surface with nonstick spray, turn dough out, then spray dough.  Using a bench scraper, divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 3 oz each).  Working with 1 piece at a time and using the bench scraper, fold dough inward onto itself on 4 sides.  Turn dough over with the bench scraper so that the folds are underneath and transfer to prepared sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough, spacing evenly on sheets.  Sprinkle each piece with cornmeal,  Spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and loosely cover baking sheets, oiled side down.  Let sit at room temperature until dough is nearly doubled in size, 60-80 minutes.

Cooking the muffins on a griddle and Baking:  Heat a large skillet or griddle, preferable cast iron, over low heat.  Place another rimmed baking sheet in the center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Working in 2-3 batches and keeping the remaining dough covered, slide 2 thin metal spatulas from opposite sides underneath the dough, also getting under the cornmeal to avoid sticking or deflating the dough, and transfer to skillet (do not overcrowd).  Cook until bottoms are dark golden brown, 5-7 minutes.  Turn over and cook the other side 5-7 minutes until dark golden brown.  Using spatula, transfer muffins to preheated sheet in oven and bake until cooked through and sides are dry to the touch but still spring back, 5-10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.  Let muffins cool at least 30 minutes before splitting with a fork and serving.

 

 

Reflections on this bake:
Very tasty!  I loved the crunch from the cornmeal, the tender inside and the tang from the buttermilk.  Can’t wait to toast it and slather it with butter and apricot jam.  As far the technique, I definitely referred back to the video of Claire making the English muffins, so I thought I’d give you the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxGczEE3NSw  Happy baking!

 

 

Rating Category	Rating out of 5
Taste	4
Texture	4
Likeliness to make again	4
Overall Rating	4