English Muffins

This is a post I've been working on for a looooong time, believe it or not!  I wanted to make sure that I had enough information to share, since English muffins aren't typically something a person has made before.  I have now made these probably a couple dozen times.  The summary of why I make these, if you don't read the whole post- they are delicious and significantly cheaper than store-bought!

The breakfast my husband has most days before work (when the rest of us are still sleeping) is an egg sandwich- with a baked egg patty, reduced-fat sausage patty from Costco, a little grated cheese, and an English muffin.  Seeing as how I make most of our other bread products, I decided to tackle English muffins, as well.  I found this recipe from Alton Brown (Mr. Good Eats) and it works very well!  I altered it very slightly.

The only equipment I needed to buy to make these was English Muffin Rings.  I tried making this recipe using other things as rings, like some suggest, but these work FAR better- and were only 8 bucks.  I have saved more than that already!  Besides that, it is helpful to have a covered electric skillet (good for maintaining even heat) and a large cookie scoop for even portioning.

Last thing- I have made variations of this, as well.  I normally make them with half wheat/half white flour, and sometimes I make them with a little extra sugar and cinnamon.  It's a pretty flexible recipe!

The equipment ready to go

The dough is so wet, it's almost more like a batter

I cook 4 muffins at a time

Finishing up cooking on the 2nd side

You can read more about these muffins on Food Network's website, here.

Price Breakdown
Yeast 5¢
Powdered Milk 36¢
Sugar 1¢
Salt <1¢
Canola Oil 3¢
All-Purpose Flour 12¢
Wheat Flour 16¢
Water- Free
TOTAL = 73¢ per batch of 8 English Muffins

Weight of one batch: 1 lb. 5 oz.
Price per ounce: 3.5¢

Comparable store-bought English muffins: $1.68 for 14 ounces = 12¢ per ounce

Price Comparison per ounce: 3.5¢ homemade vs. 12¢ store-bought = 71% SAVINGS!

English Muffins
Printable version here

2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (1 packet)
1 1/8 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. canola oil (or other neutral-flavored oil)
2 cups flour (I use 1 cup each all-purpose and wheat)

1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine and set aside to rest:

• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup warm water

2. Meanwhile, combine in a large bowl and stir until dissolved:

• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 cup hot (but not boiling) water

3. Once yeast mixture is a little bubbly, pour into milk mixture and whisk to combine. (Make sure the milk mixture isn't too hot, as yeast die at temperatures above 130º)  Add to this mixture and stir:

• 2 cups flour

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes. (I like to turn on my oven for 1-2 minutes while I'm preparing the dough, then I let dough rest in there.)

5. Preheat griddle to 300º (when I use wheat flour, I set the heat just a little under that).  Remove plastic wrap and stir dough thoroughly.

6. Place metal rings onto griddle and coat lightly with nonstick spray. Using large (3 tbsp.) cookie scoop, place 2 scoops into each ring and cover with a lid.  Cook for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, flip (I like to use 2 flat spatulas for this), then recover and cook 4 1/2 to 5 more minutes. (I do 4:45) Cool on a wire rack, split with fork, and serve.

Yield: 8 muffins
Storage: Store in an airtight container (or zip-top bag) at room temperature for up to 3 days.  Freeze for longer storage.
Recipe Source: Alton Brown/Food Network

Why I love it? Let's see, they're INFINITELY fresher tasting than the kind you buy in a store, there are no preservatives, you can customize them (with different types of flour, using additional seasonings like cinnamon, etc.), and like I said above- SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper! If you're still reading, I will say- these were a little frustrating to make until I got the hang of it, but after making them a few times I figured out what works best, and now I love making them!  Let me know if you have any questions!