English Muffins

This recipe brings a classic favorite to the breakfast table. To get the characteristically browned outer crust of the muffins, before baking, the dough is first heated in a skillet for a short time at a low temperature. Slather these muffins with butter and jam, or pile them high with eggs and bacon for a satisfying early-day meal.

This recipe is from the CIA's Artisan Breads at Home cookbook.

yield: 12 muffins at 3½ oz
poolish: 12–14 hours
bulk fermentation: 60–75 minutes
final fermentation: 15 minutes
bake: 475°F and 6–8 minutes

INGREDIENT	OUNCES	GRAMS	VOLUME	BAKERS %
POOLISH
Water, 55°F	6.8	191	¾ cup	25.00%
Bread flour	6.8	191	1 1/3 cups + 1 Tbsp	25.00%
Yeast, instant dry	0.01	0.3	¼ tsp	0.04%
FINAL DOUGH
Poolish	13.6	383	•	50.10%
Water, 95°F	12.5	354	1 ½ cups	46.40%
Malt syrup	0.2	6	1⁄8 tsp	0.60%
Butter	1	28	2 Tbsp	3.70%
Bread flour	20.2	573	4 ½ cups	75.00%
Yeast, instant dry	0.3	9	1 Tbsp	0.90%
Salt	0.6	18	1 Tbsp	2.30%
Sugar	0.3	9	2 tsp	0.90%
TOTAL	48.6	1380	•	179.90%
GARNISH
Semolina-flour mixture; ratio 1:1*	as needed

*equal parts Semolina and All-Purpose flour

1. PREPARE the poolish the day before you want to serve the muffins. Mix together the water, fl our and yeast by hand until homogenous. The poolish will have little lumps and will be wet (unlike a dough). Cover the poolish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 10 to 12 hours. At this point, the poolish will have fermented and risen with visible bubbles (it should not have collapsed in the center).
2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH, put the poolish in the bowl of a mixer with the water and malt. In a separate bowl, rub the butter into the flour to make a sandy mixture. Add the yeast to the fl our and butter, then add to the bowl. Add the salt and sugar and place the bowl on a mixer fi tted with a dough hook. Mix for 4 minutes on low speed, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough over twice during the mixing process. Then mix for another 2 minutes on medium speed, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough. The dough should be wet and tacky with partial gluten development. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl large enough for it to double in size and cover with plastic wrap.
3. PLACE the bowl in a warm place to rest and ferment for 45–60 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
4. PLACE the dough on a lightly floured work surface and fold it into thirds. Re-cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for another 15 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
5. PREHEAT the oven to 475°F.
6. UNCOVER the dough and lightly flour it on all sides with a mixture of semolina fl our and bread fl our. Then gently roll the dough out into a rectangle (10 by 11 inches) about ½ inch thick. With a pastry wheel or pizza wheel, cut the dough into 3-inch squares (cut in 1 direction to create 3-inch strips, then cut across each strip to create squares). Place the squares on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes, until when lightly touched the dough springs back halfway.
7. WARM a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place a few dough pieces in the skillet, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and cook until they are brown on each side (if the skillet becomes too hot, quickly lower the heat). Place the cooked dough pieces on a clean tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.
8. TRANSFER the muffins to the oven. Bake for 6–8 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 205°F.
9. REMOVE the tray from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Tips:

Gently roll out the dough to about ½ inch thick. Try to avoid deflating the dough too much. This will cause it to become tough after baking.

Cut 3-inch strips across the width of the dough. Then cut each strip into 3-inch squares. Put very little pressure on the dough while measuring so that it doesn’t deflate.

Brown the top and bottom of the muffins in a medium-hot skillet. Avoid overheating as these need to be baked as well. If the skillet is too hot, the muffins will burn, or dry out or burn in the oven.

Poolish: A prefermentation technique that originated in Poland, and has been embraced by many French bakers for their baguettes. Poolish is the soupiest of the preferments, with a raio of flour to liquid that is 1:1. It is a mixture of flour, water and a small portion of yeast which, once mixed, is refrigerated for two hours to slow down the yeast. Next, it is removed from the refrigerator and fermented at room temperature for ten to twelve hours. Adding poolish to your bread results in a mild flavor and aroma along with gas production for a lighter loaf.