English Muffins

This is a bread recipe that just perfect for Indonesian where not every house has an oven. This is a pan-fried bread where you just use any of your non-stick pan at home. Since every cooktop/stove has different heat setting, you may need to find the right temperature in your own home yourself.

Your friends and family will marvel over your cooking skills when you present a plate of these for their enjoyment. ( there's no need to tell them how truly simple they are to bake). You'll appreciate the humble, fresh taste of these English Muffins if you've ever tried some of the package varieties.

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 cups of bread flour ( even all-purpose flour works too )
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp malt vinegar
or any other vinegar, but watch out for Indonesian's vinegar that tend to have
higher acidity than other type of vinegar. Try to use less if you are using
Indonesian's vinegar.
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

extra flour or cornmeal

PROCEDURES :

Step 1
Dissolve sugar in the water then add the yeast in it. Wait until the yeast dissolve about 5 minutes. Later you add the oil and egg in it. Mixed them well for few seconds with a whisk.

Step 2
While waiting for the yeast to dissolved, you can mixed the dry ingredients, in a big bowl add flour and salt. Then when the yeast is dissolved, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix it with a big spoon until they are incorporated. Then start kneading them for 10 minutes.


Picture: Knead the dough until smooth and form it like a ball.

Step 3
In a clean bowl that you already oiled so the dough won't stick to it. Place the dough in and cover it with a damp towel. Let rise on the table until almost doubled. 30-60 minutes.

Step 4
With a rolling pin, roll dough out to a centimeter thickness. Using a muffin cutter or a cleaned 8-ounces pineapple can with both top and bottom removed, cut out muffins. Reroll the scraps one time and cut out 2 or 3 more muffins. Place muffins on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal or flour. Turn the muffins to coat both sides with the cornmeal/flour. Cover with a dry towel; let rise on the table until almost doubled, 30-60 minutes.

Step 5
Heat an ungreased griddle/pan to medium heat then reduced heat to low. Very gently, place muffins on griddle and cook for 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium again, gently turn the muffins, trying not to deflate them; cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.


Picture: Don't over crowded the pan or you will have difficulty to turn it over later.

Step 6
Remove muffins from the pan and cool on wire racks. Split in half with knife, toast, and serve with butter or honey and jam if you like sweet. Any leftovers can be frozen in a plastic bag.

NOTE :

This recipe will yields 8 - 9 muffins