English Muffins with Fresh Milled Flour
Homemade English muffins made with fresh-milled hard white wheat, cooked on a skillet with cornmeal and a touch of ghee. Crisp and buttery on the outside, soft and tender inside.
Ingredients
- 510 g freshly milled flour hard white wheat flour
- 1 cup warm milk 230 grams
- 3/4 cup warm water 165 grams
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened 43 grams
- 2 tablespoons sugar 32 grams
- 1 egg
- 1¼ tsp fine salt
- 2 tsp yeast instant or active dry
- Ghee for cooking
- Cornmeal or rice flour for dusting
Instructions
Prep your ingredients
- Mill the wheat berries and set the flour aside to cool. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the warm milk and water. If weighing your ingredients, place the measuring cup or mixing bowl directly on your kitchen scale and weigh the milk and water as you add them. Add the yeast and sugar, stir to combine, and let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
Mix the dough
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the melted butter and egg. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour and mix until combined. Let the dough rest for 10–15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.
Knead
- Add the salt and knead for about 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Freshly milled flour may need a little extra kneading to develop the gluten.
Let the dough rise
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Shape the English muffins
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and generously sprinkle with cornmeal. Flour your work surface well and gently turn out the dough. Flour the top of your dough and rolling pin as well. Roll to about 1 inch thick and cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter, upside down cup, or mason jar lid. What to do with the extra dough: Gather the scraps together and gently re-roll the dough to cut out more English muffins. With the last bit of dough, shape it into a ball, flatten it slightly, and use the biscuit cutter to gently clean up the edges. This way, you won't have any dough left over.Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle the tops with cornmeal, cover, and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Cook
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon ghee. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add a few English muffins, leaving space between them. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed.
Check for Doneness
- Keep a close eye on the heat so the outside doesn't brown before the inside is cooked. The English muffins are done when they are golden brown, puffed, and the sides feel set rather than doughy. If the muffins begin to brown too quickly, remove them from the skillet and finish baking in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, tented with foil.
Split and serve
- Let the English muffins cool slightly, then use a fork to split them around the sides. Toast and serve with butter. Using a fork rather than a knife helps create those classic nooks and crannies.
Video
Notes
A soft, slightly sticky dough: This is a soft and slightly sticky dough, especially when made with freshly milled flour. Resist the urge to add too much extra flour, as this can make the English muffins dense instead of light and tender. Flour your work surface well, as well as your rolling pin and the top of the dough so it doesn't stick during the cutting process.
Don't over-proof: After cutting the English muffins, cover them with a towel or lid and let them rest for 10–15 minutes while you prepare your skillet. Try not to let them sit much longer than this. If they over-proof during this second rise, they can begin to deflate when cooked, resulting in a thin, wide English muffin. I like to keep things moving during this final rest and get them into the skillet as soon as they're ready.
