Traditional English Muffins
Ingredients (14-15 muffins, about 80g each)
700 00 flour
440 skimmed milk
2 teaspoons sugar
12g salt
3g dried yeast
First I have mixed a poolish with 350g flour and 350 milk, all the sugar and a third of a teaspoon of yeast in a bowl covered with cling film. Left it overnight at about 17-18C (room temperature).
After 12 hours, I combined the poolish with the rest of the ingredients excluding the salt, and left this rough mix to stand for about 20-30 mins in a bowl covered with cling film (autolyse).
After this, I have added the salt and mixed the dough. I let the dough rest (in the covered bowl) for about 2 hours, until doubled, folding the dough once after an hour.
Then I rolled the dough (on table dusted with flour) to about 1.5cm thick, trying to be as delicate as possible so as not to force too much air out of the dough. The I cut with round metal rings of about 8cm diameter. I removed the flour with a brush from the remaining "bits and pieces", weighed them to the same approximate wight of the other "rolled" muffins (about 80g), and made balls that I let rest to relax a bit, before patting them down in a round circle shape. Those rolled out at the beginning come out better, but surely we do not want to waste any dough!
I let the muffins rest for another hour or so (time depends on temperature in the room) until they doubled. Then I heated a pan with a heavy bottom (not too much, i sacrificed the first one to find the correct temperature), and place the muffins in the pan (mine fitted four at a time), covering with a lid - in this way the steam will help them rise. Cook about 3-4 mins each side, until golden.
As they cook, place them in a clean cloth to cool down, and leave them until cold (this will keep them soft), unless you want to eat them immediately. If not, then of course you know how to deal with them: split them open with a fork, toast them and smear with butter, jam, honey...
Added by: Paola