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Two recipes, my Mom's, and another I use. Different textures.

English Muffin recipe - #1

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 pkg. yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. dry milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, well beaten
3 Tbsp. soft butter (or margargine...)
4 c. flour
cornmeal

In large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and milk. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Add salt, egg, butter, and half the flour. Beat until dough is smooth. Add remaining flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto a board and knead until very smooth (about 10 minutes). Add more flour if necessary. Return dough to a well buttered/greased/oiled bowl and turn to coat on all sides (this just keeps the dough from sticking to the bowl). Cover and let rise until double, about one hour, in a warm place.

Turn out onto slightly floured board. Don't knead. Pat gently, do not break air cells, to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a 3" round cutter (i use a wide coffee mug). Dip each circle on both sides in cornmeal. Let rise until double. Bake slowly on an ungreased griddle or in an electric frypan at 340 degrees for about 7 minutes on each side (I use a regular skillet and just fry brown on both sides). Eat hot or cool. Split with a fork to toast. Makes 12 - 16.



English Muffin recipe #2

2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
about 5 cups flour
1 1/2 cup milk
butter or margarine
1 egg
2 tbsp. yellow cornmeal
salad oil

1. In large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups flour. In 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat milk and 1/4 c butter or margine until very warm (120 to 130F - not scalding or you will kill the yeast).

2. With mxier at low speed, gradually beat liquid into dry ingredients until just blended. Increase speed to medium; beat two minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

3. Gradually beat in egg and 1 c flour or enough to make a thick batter; continue beating two minutes occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. With spoon, stir in enough additional flour (about 2 cups) to amke a stiff dough.

4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead just until well mixed, about two minutes. Shape down into a ball and place in greased large bowl, turning dough over to grease top. over with towel; let rise in warm place until dough is doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Puch down dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; cover wtih bowl for 15 minutes and let dough rest for easier shaping. Meanwhile, please cornmeal in a pie plate.

6. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dogh about 3/8-inch thick. With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into circles; reroll scraps to make 18 circles in all.

7. Dip both sides of each circle in cornmeal; place cornmeal-coated circles about 1 inch apart on 2 small cookie sheets. Cover cookie sheets with towel; let circles rise in warm place, away from draft, until doubled, about 45 minutes.

8. Lightly brush 12-inch skillet with salad oil. Over medium heat, heat skillet until hot. Place 6 circles in skillet; cook 8 minutes on each sie or until browned. Repeat with rmeianing circles. Cool muffins on wire rack. To store muffins for later use, wrap coolked muffins with plastic wrap to foil.

9. Just before serving, split each muffin with a fork and toast.