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Toasted English Muffins
1 yeast cake 1 cup scalded and cooled milk 1 cup lukewarm water 2 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons shortening 6 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon salt Dissolve yeast and sugar in the lukewarm liquid, add melted shortening and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth, add rest of flour and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in well greased bowl, cover and set in warm place to rise. When double in bulk (about 2 hours), form with hands into 12 large, round biscuits. Cover and set aside in a greased pan for about 1 1/2 hours. Then, with rolling pin, roll to about 1/4 inch thickness, keeping them round. Have ungreased griddle ready, hot, and bake each one 10 minutes. Turn, browning on both sides. As they begin to brown, move them to cooler part of griddle, so that they will bake slowly. Makes 2 dozen. These may be made the day before you intend to split and toast them. They are toasted under broiler, and immediately spread with butter before serving. The usual accompaniment is orange marmalade.
A straightforward yeasted griddle bread that predates the split-and-toast ritual it is named for. The hinge is griddle heat: these must bake through slowly on a dry surface, not sear.
- Yeast cakeA yeast cake of this kind was typically a 0.6 oz block of compressed fresh yeast, usually treated as equivalent to one packet of active dry or instant yeast, about 2 1/4 teaspoons. If using active dry, proof it in the lukewarm water and sugar before adding the milk.
- Scalded milkScalding is usually explained as deactivating enzymes in raw milk that weaken gluten. With pasteurized milk most bakers skip the step; warm the milk to about 100F and proceed.
- Flour quantitySix cups against two cups of liquid is on the dry side by modern measure, since flour was scooped and settled differently. Hold back the last cup and add only what the dough needs to come together soft and slightly tacky.
- Griddle temperatureAn ungreased griddle at roughly 325F, or medium-low on a heavy skillet, is a reasonable target. The ten minutes a side the recipe asks for only works at a moderate heat; hotter and the outsides will be dark while the centre stays raw.
- Handling after the second riseRolling proofed dough with a pin will knock out some of the gas that gives the interior its open structure. The recipe calls for rolling to 1/4 inch; if you want a more open crumb, press each round out gently by hand instead and let the discs recover for fifteen minutes before they go on the griddle.
- DonenessThe muffins are done when the centre reads 200-205F and the sides feel dry and springy rather than doughy. Cool them fully before splitting.
- SplittingSplit with a fork worked around the circumference, not a knife. The torn surface is what catches butter under the broiler.
- YieldThe method as written forms twelve rounds, yet the recipe says it makes two dozen; most likely the count refers to halves once the muffins are split.
- CornmealDusting the griddle and the tops with fine cornmeal is standard practice for this style of bread and keeps the dough from sticking to a bare surface. The recipe omits it, but nothing is lost by adding it.