Whole Grain English Muffins

English muffins have always been a part of delicious eating. I never really thought much about them except they are always available for butter and jam or even toasted with peanut butter. I’ve been making my own bread for quite a while and I realized that I haven’t been buying any store-bought bread including tortillas, buns, or even English muffins. I came across some English muffin rings and I decided that I would try making them. I found they are not baked, they are griddled. English muffins should be fork split and not cut with a knife to not ruin the nooks and crannies inside the muffins.

They’re fun to make. When I made them, I shared them with friends and family. Giving bread, whether a loaf, buns, baguette, or English Muffins – bread sends love from the heart.

Whole Grain English Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups coconut milk, scalded (180 F)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt (I use Real salt)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax, 3 tablespoons water. Mix and let sit for 20 minutes.)
• 1 tablespoon SAF yeast
• 4 cups multigrain mix, ground to flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• Cornmeal for dusting

Instructions:

1. Pour scalded milk into bowl of mixer. Stir in butter, salt, and honey and mix until the butter is melted. Let cool to 105 F. Stir in the flax egg and yeast. Stir in both flours.
2. Mix in mixer until dough pulls away from the sides and then mix on low speed for 5-8 minutes until smooth. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and cover with a clean cloth. Let the dough rise for one hour in a warm, draft-free area or until doubled in bulk.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased board and roll to ½-inch thick. Use an English muffin cutter from Norpro to cut the dough into circles. Place the circles on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the circles rest for 20 minutes.
4. Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over low heat. Gently place the muffins in the skillet cornmeal side down. Cook the muffins for six to eight minutes, then turn them over and cook for another six to eight minutes. Monitor them carefully to make sure they’re browning but not burning.
5. Cool, then fork split the muffins lengthwise, and toast them. Leftover muffins can be fork split and frozen. Frozen muffin halves can be toasted to thaw.  Makes 14 muffins.

To fork split:  Take a long tine fork and slide the fork gently into the edges around the English muffin. Gently pull apart after going around entire muffin.

Recipe adapted from Homemade Bread