Thursday, May 20, 2010

English Muffins

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I expect to see only a few items on an ingredient list for bread. Flour, water & yeast pretty much that's it.

But for a loaf of manufactured bread, the ingredients can take up 6 lines! Many of them even don't have a name, only some weird codes - E-282, E-200, E-481, E-471, E461ii.... (preservatives, stabilizer, emulsified agent, etc). One package even mentions that their bread doesn't require refrigerated once it's open, and is still good for half a month!

Some food manufacturers prolong the life span of their products but shorten mine...

To prolong the life span of my homemade bread, no need for 2 4 6 8 10... simply f.r.e.e.z.e.r. I've made 6 English muffins and already freezed some for breakfast during weekends.

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I've tested 3 different recipes all of which yield delicious muffins, depending your personal taste, some tends to be bland (like American style since we sandwich them with salty ham and juicy egg) while some with milk flavor (perfect with jam). The following recipe inclines to American style. But the only thing is, I can't accomplish the very, VERY, porous interior like the manufacturer ones'. The problem shouldn't be from the ingredients, more due to the handling, I'd continue to look for other sources and keep trying... otherwise, the taste is great.

Ingredients (yields 6 muffins)

  • 4 g of dry yeast dissolved in a small amount of water
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 egg white, whisk until fluffy
  • 2 cups of flour
  • a good pinch of baking soda
  • a good pinch of salt
  • fine corn meal

Combine all the above ingredients, knead until the dough is elastic and smooth. Rest until it doubles the volumn, fold a few times. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thick (sprinkle the table with corn meal), cut out the muffin, rest them until they look very puffy. Cook them on a skillet for about 15 minutes.

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13 comments:

Memória said...

These muffins look perfect and so inviting.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Flour, water, yeast = BREAD, as in real food. Yes, you got it right!
You sure have a great twist on those words ... prolong the life span of their products but shorten mine... EXCELLENT!
Gorgeous english muffins.

Anh said...

Ha! I laughed so hard at the comment about life span *LOL*

Let us know if you have finally tested the recipe. I love good English muffins

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Your mffins are beautiful! A wonderful speciality!

Cheers,

Rosa

Rosa said...

delicious...

FH said...

My fave for breakfast. With Jalapeno cream cheese, it almost tastes like spicy Indian Pancakes! :D

indosungod said...

Perfect muffins.
"
Some food manufacturers prolong the life span of their products but shorten mine..."

love that line.

Unknown said...

Your English muffins look perfect and should come out just fine after freezing and reheating - we made a huge batch per person in pastry school and had wonderful breakfasts every morning for a couple of weeks afterward!

Ricbi said...

Wow, they really look delicious. And freezing them is a great idea - do you freeze them partly baked?

Dorothee said...

I think your muffins look wonderful! Smitten Kitchens Recipe helped me when I tried my own hand a few weeks ago. The recipe did lead to "holey" muffins, so you might like to give it a go: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/four-breakfasts/

Bridget Davis said...

WOW!! LOve your pictures!! and this post looks soo nomlicious!!

Thank you!!

Tia said...

that looks wonderful!

Marjorie said...

I have never tried making indiviual muffins but I do have a recipe for English Muffin loaf its great in the morning toasted with some jam.