Wheat English Muffins

Categories: Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk, warmed until just barely bubbling
• 2 tbsp honey (granulated sugar works, too)
• 1 package or 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit — just barely warm to the touch)
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil
• About 5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (Substitute as much all-purpose flour as you’d like for a lighter muffin.)
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Combine warmed milk and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until dissolved. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Add yeast mixture, butter or oil, and three cups of flour to the milk. Attach the dough hook and beat at a low speed until mostly smooth. Add flour by the half-cup until a soft dough forms. The dough has the right amount of flour when it pulls into a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. Be patient, though — it take a moment for new flour to incorporate into the dough.

3. Move the dough to a greased mixing bowl (finesse works better than strength when removing the dough hook), cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

4. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and a long sheet of waxed paper with cornmeal. Punch down the dough and move to the floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on the waxed paper, leaving 3 inches between the muffins. Slightly flatten each round and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a greased griddle over medium heat. Gently brush excess cornmeal off muffins and place on the griddle, cooking until a deep golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until the edges feel firm.

6. Cool on wire racks and toast before serving.

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