RCP: English Muffins

English Muffins

In a metal bowl combine:
2 cups very hot water(190 to 200)
2 tablespoon lard
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup low-fat milk powder

Stir to combine thoroughly. The lard must melt completely. Cool this mixture to no more than 110 degrees f. Set aside.

In a measuring cup combine:
1/4 teaspoon sugar + 2/3 cup warm water + 2 tablespoon yeast. Let this proof for 5 minutes.

In your Kitchen Aid or similar mixing bowl combine the water mixture, the yeast mixture and 4 cups of all purpose flour. Use the paddle with a mixer and mix for about 1.5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and mix again for 15 seconds.

Let the combined mixture sit, covered, for 30 minutes. It will rise near the top.

Two pieces of equipment that you will need to continue are muffin rings and the removable bottom of a 9 inch tart pan (flat smooth tinned). The rings I use are 3 ¾ inches in diameter by 1 ¼ inch deep. The metal tart pan bottom is 8 ¾ inches in diameter. The purpose of the round metal is to cover the muffin rings as you cook them on each side. Placed correctly the tart pan bottom will cover all 4 rings.

Using an electric skillet set at 300 degrees F. Measure 3.5 ounces of dough into greased (Pam)muffin rings. Grease the bottom of the skillet and grease the tart pan bottom. Cover the 4 filled muffin rings with the tart pan bottom and cook on the first side for 5 minutes.

Using a combination of metal tongs and a small metal spatula remove the cover and flip the rings containing the half cooked muffins over. Cover and cook for 5 additional minutes.

At the end of the full cooking time remove the rings/muffins to a cooling rack and start the process over again. This will yield about 12-13 muffins.

They take to freezing very well by wrapping the (4 at a time) in waxed paper and placing these bundles in a freezer bag, then your freezer.

Thanks Mike!

Celia

[Jenise]

Mike, and I'm a relatively inexperienced baker (I actually like baking bread, but I'm no Celia!) and I've never tried my hand at English muffins. So I can't eyeball the purpose of the powdered milk--what does it do that starting with real milk wouldn't accomplish?

Mike, and I'm a relatively inexperienced baker (I actually like baking bread, but I'm no Celia!) and I've never tried my hand at English muffins. So I can't eyeball the purpose of the powdered milk--what does it do that starting with real milk wouldn't accomplish?

Real milk will make the chemistry of whatever you are baking slightly heavier than the powdered low fat milk. It also creates a better texture or crumb. I have tried this recipe with whole milk, goats milk, dried goats milk and low fat powdered milk. The latter works the best.

Sounds great, Mike. Have you tried any alternatives to the electric skillet?

Sounds great, Mike. Have you tried any alternatives to the electric skillet?

Each side gets a full 5 mins of 300 degree covered heat and my experience with this recipe says 6 minutes burn and 4 is not enough, same with temp. I tried them in a copper on the viking and cannot measure bottom heat with enough accuracy so they were either not cooked enough or black.

So if it aint broke, dont fix it..

One more "can I change this?" question (yes, we're SOOOOOO annoying). Since the lard is melted, would vegetable shortening or butter work?

One more "can I change this?" question (yes, we're SOOOOOO annoying). Since the lard is melted, would vegetable shortening or butter work?

I use lard in very many baked goods because the amalgamation of the product seems to be better than using butter. Butter in pastry, of course, but in this one it is my preference to use lard. Would it work, probably. Vegetable shortening ? I dont use that product because I am not sure of what it contains or how it is 'processed'.

Try butter and let us know how you like it compared to the original.

[Jenise]

Real milk will make the chemistry of whatever you are baking slightly heavier than the powdered low fat milk. It also creates a better texture or crumb. I have tried this recipe with whole milk, goats milk, dried goats milk and low fat powdered milk. The latter works the best.

Great, thanks.

One more "can I change this?" question (yes, we're SOOOOOO annoying). Since the lard is melted, would vegetable shortening or butter work?

Intuitively Stuart, I think it would. Please subject it to the scientific method and report back.

One thing intrigued me (I'm no expert in this area)... Lard and Kosher Salt?

Isn't the Kosher a bit lost in the context of (presumably Pig derived) Lard?

regards

Ian

[Jenise]

One thing intrigued me (I'm no expert in this area)... Lard and Kosher Salt?

Isn't the Kosher a bit lost in the context of (presumably Pig derived) Lard?

regards

Ian

Mike can speak for himself, but if I had written this recipe it would have said kosher salt too because kosher salt is my basic everyday salt (a flavor and texture preference, I'm not Jewish either). I don't even OWN the other stuff, and many cooks I know are likewise. Why recipes would need to be specific about that is that kosher salt is not as salty by volume as regular fine-grained table salt, so someone using the latter would want to use less salt to achieve the same result Mike did.

[Robin Garr]

kosher salt is my basic everyday salt (a flavor and texture preference, I'm not Jewish either). I don't even OWN the other stuff, and many cooks I know are likewise. Why recipes would need to be specific about that is that kosher salt is not as salty by volume as regular fine-grained table salt, so someone using the latter would want to use less salt to achieve the same result Mike did.

I'm not Jewish either, but some of my best salts are kosher ... <rimshot>

More seriously, though, I love Australian flake salts, which are pretty expensive, but I find they have the same flakey grab-the-food texture as kosher and more subtle flavors too. Am I missing something, other than that I could get about five big boxes of kosher for the same price as one little bitty jar of pink Murray River?

Mike can speak for himself, but if I had written this recipe it would have said kosher salt too because kosher salt is my basic everyday salt (a flavor and texture preference, I'm not Jewish either). I don't even OWN the other stuff, and many cooks I know are likewise. Why recipes would need to be specific about that is that kosher salt is not as salty by volume as regular fine-grained table salt, so someone using the latter would want to use less salt to achieve the same result Mike did.

Amen !

Just as a reminder, Kosher salt isn't called that because it's kosher (normal salt is usually kosher also) but because it's made for koshering meats (drawing out the blood).

Thanks for the insight folks!

I think its a cultural thing; I had never heard of kosher salt until reading this board. It may be an everyday salt in the US but not in the UK where I have never encountered it.

I've just checked Sainsbury's supermarket online and while they stock 17 different salts, they do not list kosher salt.

[Jenise]

I think its a cultural thing; I had never heard of kosher salt until reading this board. It may be an everyday salt in the US but not in the UK where I have never encountered it.

I've just checked Sainsbury's supermarket online and while they stock 17 different salts, they do not list kosher salt.

It may be a cultural thing, but those of us who use it as everday salt are a minority of cooks. I had a guest over on Friday night who had never heard of kosher salt.

[Jenise]

More seriously, though, I love Australian flake salts, which are pretty expensive, but I find they have the same flakey grab-the-food texture as kosher and more subtle flavors too. Am I missing something, other than that I could get about five big boxes of kosher for the same price as one little bitty jar of pink Murray River?

I use those fancy flaked salts, too, but they're condiment salts. To put a salt flavor into baked goods or a pot of boiling water for pasta, etc--kosher!

It may be a cultural thing, but those of us who use it as everday salt are a minority of cooks. I had a guest over on Friday night who had never heard of kosher salt.

I'd have to think long and hard to name a pro kitchen where they WEREN'T using it. Maybe they just call it something else?

[Jenise]

It may be a cultural thing, but those of us who use it as everday salt are a minority of cooks. I had a guest over on Friday night who had never heard of kosher salt.

I'd have to think long and hard to name a pro kitchen where they WEREN'T using it. Maybe they just call it something else?

John, I think you meant your question for Peter?

[Robin Garr]

I use those fancy flaked salts, too, but they're condiment salts.

Okay, that's fair. Certainly I wouldn't dump a big dollop of Murray River pink into pasta water!

To put a salt flavor into baked goods or a pot of boiling water for pasta, etc--kosher!

But here's where I get a little confused: What benefit does the flakey, clingy character of kosher salt (or flake salt) bring to these procedures? Seems to me that good old Morton's works as well.

[Jenise]

To put a salt flavor into baked goods or a pot of boiling water for pasta, etc--kosher!

But here's where I get a little confused: What benefit does the flakey, clingy character of kosher salt (or flake salt) bring to these procedures? Seems to me that good old Morton's works as well.[/quote]

Plain old table salt would be fine for that. But for me it's not worth it to stock more than one type of cooking salt, so I use kosher for everything (Diamond Crystal brand in particular, which doesn't have the overtly industrial sodium odor/flavor that Morton's kosher has).