Seeded English muffins

Break the baked muffins open with a fork, not a knife, or you won't get as many nooks and crannies as an English muffin deserves.

Credit: Martha Bakes / Yossy Arefi

• makes

  12

• prep

  6 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour
• 1 envelope (10 g / ¼ oz / 2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (about 43˚C / 110˚F)
• 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for dusting
• 1½ tsp coarse salt
• 3 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• ¾ cup milk
• Medium-grind cornmeal, for dusting
• Safflower oil, for frying
  

Standing time: overnight. Rising time: 1 hr 30 minutes. Resting time: 15 minutes.

Instructions

1. Stir together 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour, ½ tsp yeast and the warm water in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together remaining 1 cup whole-wheat flour, remaining 1¾ teaspoons yeast, the salt and seeds. Sprinkle on top of batter but do not stir in. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.
2. The next day, add milk to bowl and stir to form a soft dough. Cover with plastic and let rise 90 minutes; every 20 minutes during the first hour, gently fold dough from four different points toward the centre with a dough scraper or oiled fingers.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Sprinkle a work surface and a baking paper (parchment paper) lined baking tray (sheet) with cornmeal. Gently turn dough out, and press into a 25 cm (10 inch) square, about ¾ inch thick, deflating dough as little as possible. Cut out rounds with a floured 8 cm (3¼ inch) biscuit cutter. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet, and let rest 10 minutes. Gently form scraps into a ball; cover, and let rest 15 minutes, then press and cut more rounds.
4. Heat a 25 cm (10 inch) straight-sided skillet over medium. Lightly oil pan and fry muffins, 4 at a time, turning over, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Return muffins to sheet pan. Bake until just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. Serve with toppings of choice – try eggs, bacon and avocado for a delicious breakfast.

Note

Muffins can be frozen in a resealable bag for up to 1 month.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.