English Muffin Recipe: New York’s Breakfast Star

The History of English Muffins

• Why does a New York travel site offer you an English muffin recipe? Because English muffins are everywhere in New York. You’ll find them at breakfast and brunch all over the city. More importantly, these soft, milk-based rolls cooked on a griddle form the base of the famous Eggs Benedict, another New York breakfast staple.
• The muffin appeared in England as early as the 18th century, and its name comes from “muffen,” meaning “small cakes” in Low German dialect. The roll crossed the Atlantic with British colonists. While the recipe stayed the same, its name changed: in North America, it became known as the “English muffin” to distinguish it from the muffin born in America—the famous sweet cake.
• One thing to know: English muffins require the dough to rest for 2 hours. So either wake up very early if you want them for breakfast, or prepare them the night before. Tip: split them in half and toast them before serving.

Ingredients for 6 to 8 Muffins

• 225 g (8 oz) all-purpose flour.
• 150 ml (5/8 cup) milk.
• 10 g fresh yeast or 5 g (1 teaspoon) instant dry yeast.
• 1 tablespoon sugar.
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• 35 g (1.2 oz) butter at room temperature.
• Fine cornmeal for dusting.

Recipe Steps

• 1/ Warm the milk to 28°C (82°F). Do not exceed 30°C (86°F).
• 2/ In a bowl, mix the sugar, yeast, and one quarter of the warm milk. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• 3/ Meanwhile, sift the flour into your mixer bowl. Add the salt and mix.
• 4/ Pour in the yeast mixture and softened butter.
• 5/ Gradually add the remaining warm milk.
• 6/ Knead for 10 minutes with a mixer, or 20 minutes by hand. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour.
• 7/ Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour.
• 8/ Punch down the dough by hand to release the air. Knead again for 2 to 3 minutes.
• 9/ Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) thick.
• 10/ Cut circles using a 7 cm (2.8 in) round cutter. Your muffins take shape!
• 11/ Place the muffins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dust both sides with fine cornmeal.
• 12/ Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour. The muffins will double in size.
• 13/ Heat a skillet and cook the muffins over low heat for 5 minutes on each side.
• 14/ Let cool. You can then split them in half and toast them lightly. Enjoy!

Send Us a Photo of Your Muffins!

• Feel free to contact me if you’d like to share a recipe.  My email: patricia@cnewyork