Homemade English Muffins

This is another one of those recipes that you don't think to make yourself because you can buy it at the store. Then I saw an episode of Good Eats and Alton made these English Muffins and they looked so easy. For a yeast bread there is only one rise of 30 minutes, so it doesn't take that long to make them either.

I made these with white flour the first time but the next time I make them I plan on using whole wheat. Once I master the recipe, it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the $4.50 it costs for whole wheat English Muffins at the store. The whole wheat version will always have a special place in my heart since when I was pregnant with The Good Daughter, I developed gestational diabetes. I had to severely limit my carb intake and even had to take insulin. For breakfast I could only eat 30 grams of carbs. That equals one whole wheat English Muffin and one 8 oz glass of milk. That's it.

Anything more than 30 grams of carbs in the morning sent my blood sugar soaring and it was not good for the baby. So for 5 months, I ate this breakfast every day. I still like to eat it but take comfort in the fact that I can have a 16 oz glass of milk.

And in case you are wondering what the hell else I could eat for breakfast - ONE pancake the size of a CD, ONE cup of whole grain cereal with 1/2 cup of milk, or 1/2 banana and 8 oz of milk.

I used my large biscuit cutter instead of any special rings or tuna cans for several reasons; 1.) None of the 9 stores I went to Tuesday morning HAD English Muffin rings and 2.) There is no can the size of a tuna can that I could open both the top and the bottom. Not a tuna can, not canned chicken can, not canned ham. Nothing.

So I would suggest using either a biscuit cutter with a handle or a round cookie cutter.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening, I subbed butter
1 cup hot water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Non-stick vegetable spray
Cornmeal for dusting

Directions:
~In a bowl combine the powdered milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, shortening, and hot water, stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool. In a separate bowl combine the yeast and 1/8 teaspoon of sugar in 1/3 cup of warm water. Allow yeast to dissolve. Combine with dry milk mixture. Add flour and beat thoroughly with wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

~Preheat a griddle to 300 degrees F.

~Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mixture and beat thoroughly. Place metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with vegetable spray. Sprinkle cornmeal into bottom of ring and fill rings with batter 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle additional cornmeal on top. Cover with a cookie sheet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

~Remove the lid and flip rings using tongs. Cover with the lid and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with fork and serve.


Most of the English Muffins I looked up on other food blogs didn't do this ring baking process. As a result of me using it, the muffins turned out thick and dense. For the next round I might try an alternative, ringless version.

recipe by: Alton Brown