English Muffins

Make your own? Sure. They’re better than the ones you buy in the grocery store. Don’t split these open with a fork; use a knife to cut them into disks.

One 1⁄4-ounce package active dry yeast or

21⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar

1⁄4 cup warm water, between 105ｰF and 115ｰF

11⁄4 cups warm milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free), between 105 F and 115 F

1⁄4 cup solid vegetable shortening, melted and cooled, plus additional for greasing the bowl and the griddle

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

41⁄2 cups all-purpose fl our, or a little more About 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water in a small bowl. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast does not fizz, either it has gone bad or the water wasn’t the right temperature—throw the mixture out and start again.)
• Pour the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture, the shortening, honey, and salt, then stir in the egg.
• If you’re working with a stand mixer: Attach the dough hook and beat in 3 cups of fl our, fi rst at low speed, then at medium speed. Continue adding fl our in 1⁄2-cup increments, beating all the while, until all the fl our has been added. Continue beating until a soft, smooth, pliable dough forms, about 5 minutes. If the dough starts to crawl up the hook or sticks to the bowl, add a little more fl our, less than 1⁄4 cup, to get it smooth and soft. Knead at medium speed for 5 minutes.
• If you’re working by hand: Stir in about 21 ⁄2 cups fl our with a wooden spoon, then continue stirring in fl our in 1 ⁄4-cup increments until the total amount of fl our is about 31 ⁄2 cups. Lightly fl our a clean, dry work surface; turn the dough out onto it; and begin kneading in more fl our in 1 ⁄4-cup increments, pulling and twisting the dough with one hand while pushing down onto it with the heel of the other. Continue adding fl our until a smooth, soft dough forms. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding as little fl our as possible to make a smooth, soft, pliable dough.
• Once all the fl our has been added and the dough is as smooth as a baby’s skin, grease a clean, large bowl with a little shortening on a paper towel, then add the dough. Turn it over to coat it with the shortening, cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm, dry place until doubled in bulk, about 11⁄2 hours.
• Defl ate the dough by plunging your fi st gently but fi rmly into it. Lightly dust a work surface with cornmeal, then turn the dough out onto it. Lightly dust the dough with cornmeal and roll with a rolling pin until about 3⁄8 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles, using a round cookie cutter or a thickrimmed drinking glass. Dust a large baking sheet with cornmeal and place the cutout circles on it. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm, dry place for 20 minutes.
• Grease a fl at griddle with a little shortening on a paper towel, then heat it over medium-low heat. Add a few of the English muffi ns, as many as will fi t comfortably, reduce the heat to low, and cook until lightly browned, about 16 minutes, turning once. The heat should be so low that the muffi ns “bake” on the griddle. Transfer to a wire rack and continue griddle-baking the muffi ns until all are done.
• To store: Cooled to room temperature, the English muffi ns can be kept in a ziplock bag for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Makes 16 English muffins