Breakfast Breads: English Muffins

By SharonE

These are the famous Model Bakery version, just slightly modified in the process. So buttery, crisp. It's a lot of work so prepare ahead (like a few days) and make plenty and freeze. You should use a cast iron skillet/griddle to make these but no baking rings needed as these are stiff enough to be free-form.

Ingredients

• BIGA
• 1/2 cup/ 75 g bread flour
• 1/4 cup/ 60 ml water
• 1/4 tsp instant (also called quick-rising or bread machine) yeast
• DOUGH
• 1 1/3 cups/ 315 ml tepid to cool, not hot water (this allows a longer rise)
• 3/4 tsp instant (also called quick-rising or bread machine) yeast
• 3 1/2 cups/ 510 g unbleached all-purpose flour, as needed (or bread flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup/ 35g yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 6 Tbsp/ 90 ml melted Clarified Butter, as needed

Preparation

Step 1

1. TO MAKE THE BIGA: At least 1 day before cooking the muffins, combine the flour, water, and yeast in a small bowl to make a sticky dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, the longer (try 1-2 days), the more flavor in fermenting. The biga will rise slightly.
2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine the biga, water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Affix the bowl to the mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture looks creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in 3 cups/ 435 g of the flour and the salt to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn off the mixer, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand for 20 minutes. (To make by hand, mix the water, biga, yeast in a large bowl and break up the biga with a wooden spoon. Stir until the biga dissolves. Mix in enough flour and the salt to make a cohesive but tacky dough. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.)
3. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely cleans the mixer bowl. Replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed (if the dough climbs up the hook, just pull it down) until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Add the olive oil and knead on speed 1 for another minute until smooth again. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface to check its texture. It should feel tacky but not stick to the work surface. You can try the window pane test to make sure it's been kneaded long enough. (To make by hand, knead on a floured work surface, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and feels tacky, about 10 minutes. Then knead in olive oil.)
4. Shape the dough into a ball. Oil a medium bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil, leaving the dough smooth-side up. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours but a longer rise (24 hours) enables flavors to develop better. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding to the next step.
5. Using a bowl scraper, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut into twelve equal pieces. Round each into a ball. Flatten to 3-4" diameter. Sprinkle an even layer of cornmeal over a half-sheet pan. Place the rounds on the cornmeal about 1 in/ 2.5 cm apart. Sprinkle tops with more cornmeal. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until the rounds have increased in volume by half and a finger pressed into a round leaves an impression for a few seconds before filling up, about 1 hour.
6. Melt 2 Tbsp of the clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until melted and hot, but not smoking. In batches, add the dough rounds to the skillet. Turn heat to medium-low/low. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed so the muffins brown without scorching, adding more clarified butter as needed. The undersides should be nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook until the other sides are browned and the muffins are puffed, about 6 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel– lined half-sheet pan and let cool. (It will be tempting to eat these hot off the griddle, but let them stand for at least 20 minutes to complete the cooking with carry-over heat.) Repeat with the remaining muffins, wiping the cornmeal out of the skillet with paper towels and adding more clarified butter as needed.
7. Split muffins with a fork and toast until lightly browned. Serve hot. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.