Easy English Muffins

Last Friday I made a bowl of dough for use in making Homemade Pizza.  We had pizza again Monday for supper because we LOVE it so much!  I still have some dough left.  I plan to make some homemade hot pockets with it and this morning, as I was getting ready for work, packing my lunch, I browned a couple of homemade English Muffins for breakfast.  They are so quick and easy to make and Oh SO GOOD!

I have previously posted the recipe and instruction for the 5 Minute a Day - No Knead Bread recipe with my homemade pizza post, but I'll post it here - in less of a wordy fashion so that you can truly see how easy it is to bring together.  I use it for everything!  I got my recipe and instructions from an article at Mother Earth News here. I cannot say enough about how that recipe totally revolutionized my kitchen and cooking options.  The chefs who created the recipe (and authors of great cookbooks) have wonderful recipes in cookbooks everyone should read!  Please see details for the cookbooks and even the authors' blog for these revoluntary recipes.  

5 Minute a Day Bread Recipe

(English Muffin instructions to follow)

(Needs to be refrigerated overnight.)

 

 

• 3 cups very warm (hot but no hurt) water
• 2 teaspoons yeast or one packet

 

1.  Mix those together (in a separate container from the flour/salt large mixing bowl) and let the yeast come alive.  A foam on top will form - for a few minutes while you are getting the dry ingredients ready.

 

 

• 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Remember not to get your flour straight from the flour bag.  Dump the flour in a big bowl/cannister.  It should be "fluffed".)
 
• 1 Tablespoon salt (the original recipe calls for more - this is what is good for us and I use regular table salt.)

 

2.  Combine the flour + salt in a very large mixing bowl (in a separate bowl from the water/yeast).  Stir to mix through.

 

3.  Dump the now foamy yeasty water over the flour/salt mixture.  Stir with a big spoon until all blended.  Just a few good stirs.  This should come together in less than 30 seconds.  It will be stiff.  Just a big shaggy dough.  Nothing you could form into a ball because it would be too sticky.

 

 

4.  Place LOOSE plastic wrap over the container (or I use a clean Walmart bag).  Then, place the dough in the fridge until the next day.

 

 

5.  That's it!  Seriously!

 

 

The dough will rise to the surface and be flat across the bowl the next day.  Anytime you want to use dough from the bowl, sprinkle with flour first.  Now you can make pizza, hot pockets, and these English Muffins!

 

 

 

English Muffin Ingredients/Directions:

 

Ingredients:

 

5 Minute a Day dough from the fridge

plain yellow cornmeal (this keeps the dough from sticking in the pan.)

a non-stick skillet works best but cast iron will also work

 

Directions:

Remove your dough from the refrigerator.  I have used some out of my bowl.  Mine looked like this - this morning.

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle the top of dough lightly with a sprinkle of flour.

 

Get out a saucer/small plate.  Put some cornmeal on the plate.

 

 

Remove a small piece of dough from the bowl.  Just a piece that would fit in the palm of your hand.  Make a disc shape.  Flatten it on the plate of cornmeal until as flat as a cookie.  (If they are too fat the middle doesn't cook.)  Flip, pat again so the other side is covered in cornmeal.

 

 

 

 

 

Place the discs in a skillet.  (No cooking spray/oil is needed.  The cornmeal prevents sticking in a non-stick or iron skillet.)  But if it makes you nervous a little cooking spray won't change much.

 

 

 

 

Turn the skillet on to med/high.  Cover with a lid, and then turn down a little to medium.

 

 

 





 

Let them cook with a lid 5-7 minutes until they swell up and the underneath is cooked.  Here's a picture before I flipped mine.  They should have brown spots on the cooked side.

 

 

 

 

 

Cook the other side until done as well (with the lid).

 

Let them cool just a bit before splitting.  (To properly split an English Muffin you poke a fork all around the sides and then pull it open.  This leaves perfect craters for honey, jelly, mollasses or butter!)

 

These are great leftover and toasted the next day!  So easy, frugal and delicious!  These are keepers for sure!