Do you know the muffin man?
In 2020, that probably just brings up images of SHREK. In the 19th and early 20th century, before most people had ovens in their homes, you HAD to know the muffin man if you wanted your daily fresh treat. This pre-insta-cart business was popular in England, the home of Samuel Bath Thomas. Knowing the popularity of these muffins, when Samuel moved to a Chelsea townhouse in New York, he combined his baking abilities with the popular method of food delivery on food carts. Marketing his muffin as a “Toaster Crumpet” it became a hip alternative to toast. Mainly selling to hotels and businesses the popularity grew and Samuel seized the opportunity. He quickly opened a second bakery as the word spread to other boroughs. The term “English Muffin” was coined in 1894 which caught on fast. After Thomas’ death in 1919 his family took over and continued to make muffins. To this day, bread isle’s still carry the name of Thomas’ English Muffins.
Why “Toaster Crumpet”?
A Crumpet is defined as “a small, round cake-like bread with holes in one side that is eaten hot with butter.” Crumpets can be compared to a dense pancake, as baking soda was also used as the evening agent. Thomas’ Toaster Crumped changed the game by removing the baking soda and creating the holes on the inside. Cutting open an english muffin will result in 2 crumpet-like pieces of bread.
The Dough Code:
As stated above, baking soda was removed as the principal leavening agent a long time ago. Yeast is now used in its place. The difference in liquid is also important. We are using a 1:1 ratio of water and milk. Typically with milk, it would need to be scalded before adding to a recipe. Milk contains Glutathione which is a natural enemy to gluten. Without scalding, the milk will prevent the full rise of dough because the gluten is not strong enough to hold the CO2 produced by the yeast. In our case, english muffins do not require much rise – therefore – no scalding is necessary. The milk and butter will produce a softer, looser texture than if we just used water.
The whole process for these bad boys might seem a little strange but basically we are doing the same thing that we would for a normal loaf with 2 changes. Instead of punching the dough and letting the second rise happen in a bread pan, we are cutting out the circles and letting the rise happen on a baking sheet. The second change is the baking method. These cook on griddles, heating one side at a time. This allows the air inside to be captured (much like a pancake) and expand the dough a bit creating the nooks and crannys.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat milk/water to 95-100F (35-37C). Add 1 TBS active dry yeast and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine flour, salt, sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to incorporate.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the dry ingredients with melted butter. Make sure the butter is not too hot or else it will compromise the yeast. Mix together until a shaggy dough is formed. Turn out onto your counter and begin to kneed for 5-10 minutes or until smooth.
- Once smooth, roll the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.
- Once risen, punch the dough down and place on a lightly flowered surface. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick.
- Use a 3 inch circular biscuit cutter, cut out 9-12 rounds or as many as you can. Gently push the remaining dough back together, roll it back out and cut again.
- Dust a baking sheet with corn meal or AP flour and transfer the rounds over. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 min to an hour.
- Once the dough has plumped up, heat a lightly-greased cast -iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium-high. Place a few rounds in the skillet and cook each side for 5-7 minutes. Note the browning and adjust heat accordingly. Place finished English muffins on wire rack to cool.