English Muffins

 

Shown here toasted and with agave nectar.

I found this recipe online and will just cut & paste it, using vegan and healthy versions, of course!  These are DELICIOUS muffins and pretty easy to make.  Much better than store-bought.

English Muffins

Whisk these together in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside until foamy: 1/2 cup warm water

3 tsp. yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

Place in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup (or in small saucepan over medium-low heat:)

1 cup hot water

1 tbsp. nonhydrogenated shortening

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup soymilk powder

Whisk together and microwave for 1 minute, or warm over low heat for a few moments until the mixture is hot and the shortening starts to melt. (It doesn’t have to melt completely.) Cool to lukewarm (make sure it’s not too hot, or you’ll kill your yeast!)

Sift together:

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. salt

When water & shortening mixture is cooled, add to the yeast mixture, using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or mix like crazy by hand with a wooden spoon.) Add 1 1/2 cups of the sifted flour mixture, and mix on low until combined. Turn mixer to medium-low (about speed 3 on a KitchenAid) and slowly add additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until you get a stringy, springy, wet batter. Cover and set aside to rest for half and hour.

After resting, turn the mixer back on for about 2-3 minutes on low speed. The batter should be really stringy now, and relatively difficult to finagle, so the next part is the only tricky phase. Preheat a griddle or cast iron skillet to around 300°F. (I say around, because on my electric skillet 300° is too hot, although 275° is not hot enough; you’ll have to keep an eye on things.) If you have English muffin rings, wipe with a little oil or hit them with cooking spray, and place on the heated griddle. Ladle a scant 1/3 cup into each ring. 

Cover the skillet or griddle and cook for about 5 minutes, then flip them over and cover again, cooking for another 5 or 6 minutes.

 

Remove to a rack in a warm oven to hold while you cook the rest of the muffins.