Overnight English Muffins

By lorik

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 1-1/4 2%) cups milk (whole or 2%)
• 2-1/2 2-1/2 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 3/4 3/4 tsp. instant yeast
• 1-1/2 1-1/2 1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 1-1/2 1-1/2 Tbs. honey
• 3/4 3/4 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 7-1/2 7-1/2 7-1/2 oz. (1-1/2 cups) bread flour; more as needed
• 2 cornmeal, as needed (about 2 Tbs.)

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the dough:

Bring the milk to a bare simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and let cool to 105°F, about 30 minutes.

Whisk the whole wheat flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Whisk in the cooled milk until all the lumps are gone. Set aside until the mixture becomes frothy, about 30 minutes.

Stir the butter, honey, and salt into the milk mixture. Add the bread flour and stir vigorously until you have a thick, sticky mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 and up to 16 hours.
Shape the muffins

Flour a work surface and then dust it with cornmeal. Using floured hands, gently deflate the dough in the bowl, transfer it to the work surface, and shape it into a rough rectangle. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10x8-inch rectangle that’s about 3/8 inch thick; use a bench scraper to lift the dough and dust the surface with more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Dust the top of the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornmeal.

Using a floured 3-1/2-inch round cutter, punch out 5 to 6 muffins. Dip the cutter in flour before each cut to prevent sticking. Gather and gently reroll the dough scraps 3/8 inch thick; punch out 1 to 2 more muffins in the same way. Reroll the last bit of dough to punch out 1 or 2 more muffins. Cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Cook the muffins:

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and put a large rimmed baking sheet on it. Heat the oven to 400°F.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Working in batches and using floured fingers, arrange the dough rounds on the griddle or in the skillet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. Cook, flipping once with a spatula, until the tops and bottoms of the muffins are browned and firm but the edges remain soft, about 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the muffins to the baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Meanwhile, wipe out any flour in the skillet and brown the next batch of muffins; repeat browning and baking the muffins until all are cooked.

Allow each batch to cool on a rack for 1 to 2 minutes. Using a fork, perforate the muffins along their equators all the way around, and break open the rest of the way by hand. Toast, if you like, and serve warm.
Variations:

Cinnamon-Raisin English Muffins: Increase the honey to 2 Tbs. and add 1/2 cup raisins and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon to the dough after stirring in the bread flour.


Rye English Muffins: Use dark rye flour in place of the whole wheat flour and add 3/4 tsp. caraway seeds to the dough after stirring in the bread flour.

Leftovers:

The muffins will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Toast before eating.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 200; Fat (g): fat g 4; Fat Calories (kcal): 35; Saturated Fat (g): sat fat g 2; Protein (g): protein g 6; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1; Carbohydrates (g): carbs g 34; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): sodium mg 125; Cholesterol (mg): cholesterol mg 10; Fiber (g): fiber g 2;