Happy Sunday, friends! I love Sundays–because I’ve finished running errands earlier in the weekend, I have the entire day to relax and make a yeasty bread that needs to rise twice. Due to my love (obsession?) with breakfast, I decided to make some whole-wheat English muffins. And then I made them mini.
That way, you can have two, each with a different topping. It feels more exciting that way. But if you want, you can use the same recipe and make regular-sized ones.
Whole-Wheat English Mini-Muffins (adapted from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads)
- 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 2-2 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
- 2 packages yeast (4 1/2 t)
- 2 T sugar
- 1 t salt
- 1 1/4 C skim milk, warm
- 3 T butter, room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- Cornmeal
There should also be an egg in there. At the time this photo was taken, my egg was warming from fridge-temp to room-temp in a hot water bath. Good tip, by the way–’cause you always want to bake with room temperature eggs, but who really has the foresight for those things?
In the mixer bowl of your beloved KitchenAid (or in a regular large mixing bowl, if you are less lazy), combine the 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour, the yeast, salt, and sugar, and stir to blend. Warm the milk (don’t boil, but do make sure it’s almost hot), and add the butter directly to it to melt. Pour the milk/butter mixture into the flour mixture and mix for about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
Mix in the remaining whole-wheat flour, 1/4 C at a time, until the dough is a “shaggy mass” (thanks for that descriptor, Bernard). Change to the dough hook and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you need more flour, add it in small amounts until it’s not sticky–but don’t go overboard.
Wrap the bowl in plastic and allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in size, about an hour.
Punch down the dough and knead briefly, then let it rest for ten minutes. Spread a small handful of cornmeal over the work surface, and roll the dough out until it is about 1/4″ thick (I kept mine a bit thicker, but I would roll out to 1/4″ next time for flatter muffins). Cut into rounds–for my mini-muffins, I used a wine glass that was about 2 1/2″ across, but use a cookie cutter that’s about 4″ across for regular-sized muffins.
English muffin army.
Place a towel over the rounds and let them rise again until doubled in size, about another 45 minutes. Turn the oven to 45o degrees 20 minutes before you estimate they will be done rising so that it can preheat. Gently lay the muffins on a cookie sheet and bake on a middle rack for about 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They’ll be a nice golden brown on the top and bottom when they are done.
Allow them to cool on a wire rack before tearing them apart and slathering them with butter and jam. Once they’re cooled, stick ‘em in the toaster the way you’d do with any English muffin.
Yum. Not as many nooks and crannies as I expected, but that’s probably due to two things: 1) I used half whole-wheat flour and 2) I didn’t roll them out as thin as I should have, so they might have risen a bit differently.
Either way, still delicious (and they really taste just like an English muffin!). You also can’t detect the whole-wheat flour at all.
I can’t wait to have one with peanut butter and one with raspberry jam for breakfast tomorrow–PB&J at its finest!
What’s your English muffin topping of choice? Are you a PB&J kinda person like me, or a traditional butter and jam muffin eater? Cheese? Fresh fruit? Honey or golden syrup? Or an eggs and bacon guy like Fritz?
14 comments
itsybitsybrianna
May 22, 2011 at 6:35 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
What a PERFECT little blog you have!
xoxo
bB
Please stop by and say hi
http://www.itsybitsybrianna.wordpress.com
Lauren Zietsman
May 22, 2011 at 6:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
thanks, thats so sweet!!
princesayasmine
May 22, 2011 at 6:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever had one. Shameful, taking into account that I live in England. Perhaps I’ll give them a go.
Lauren Zietsman
May 22, 2011 at 6:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Seriously. Maybe they’re better in England
anjobanjo22
May 23, 2011 at 4:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
These look sooo good! Your pictures are so wonderful. I’m definitely going to have to try these out!
Thanks for the recipe!
Laura
May 23, 2011 at 5:03 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
My favorite person in the world loves English muffins. I think I am going to have to surprise him with some tomorrow morning. Thanks for the recipe.
Lauren Zietsman
May 23, 2011 at 8:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
hope it works well! let me know
aaaaamy
May 23, 2011 at 10:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
You forgot to put how much yeast is required! I’d like to know :]
Lauren Zietsman
May 23, 2011 at 10:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
no way! whoops!
littlehealthjunkie
June 8, 2011 at 5:51 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh my goodness, will you PLEASE come to my house and bake these (and all of your other fantastic recipes for me!) Please!?! Ahhh I can’t wait to make these though, english muffins are my favorite!
sheelbeel
August 3, 2011 at 11:42 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I am totally making these this week – they will be the perfect breakfast!!
Kevin
August 31, 2011 at 11:28 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
They look fantastic!
I’m from Europe and I’m not sure which kind of cup you’ve used? Could you please help me so I can convert the cups into grams? Thank you very much! 
Lauren Zietsman
August 31, 2011 at 12:03 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Um…a standard US measuring cup. I’m not quite sure how to do the conversion because a cup measures volume whereas a gram is weight…right? Haha I’m sure there’s a conversion chart out there for the specific food you are measuring. Good luck!
Andrea
February 19, 2012 at 3:51 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Lauren, I made these mini english muffins today and they turned out great! Why is everything better mini? I think next time I will make mine a bit thicker, like you made yours here. The thinner ones are harder to cut in half and toast. I tried one with some homemade tangerine curd
Thanks for the recipe girl!