I've been making the english muffins that get consumed in this house for quite some time now. The younger 2 eat them like rolls, untoasted with a cooked sausage patty and cheese for a quick on the go breakfast or even snack.
I make hubby a breakfast sandwich for his lunch box just about every day. (Some days I don't have any muffins left.)
One day my hubby asked why I make them when they aren't really that expensive. My first response was. I know what goes in them. My second response was because I can.
Today I made a double batch, and they are currently on the counter shaped and rising for their dry fry on the stove top.
So I sat down to just see what the cost was, using the ingredients I use every time I make them.
And the cost is about $1.75 for 12 big english muffins. They contain very simple basic ingredients. No HFC, no preservatives, nothing funky. I know what goes into them and when they were made.
Now you could make them for a few cents less. I'm sure of that because I use more expensive ingredients. I use organic flour (right now $4.99/5bls), I use raw milk ($3.70/half gallon) and I use organic butter(11cents/T). The other ingredients are yeast, salt, water and a smidge of baking powder. Oh and a bit of cornmeal for the non stick/authentic affect.
It's easy, and forgiving. You can swap out 1 c of the white flour, for 1 cup of whole wheat or any other whole grain flour. (Using barley, or oat or Kamut and Spelt, will result in a wetter dough, but it still rises beautifully and works great.)
Here's what I do.
Warm 1 c of milk, add in 1/4 c of warm water. Pour into my KA mixing bowl.
Add in 1/2 T of sugar or honey. Mix around a few times. Add in 2 1/4 t of yeast. Swirl around again with the paddle. Let rest a few minutes to start the yeast bubbling a bit. Add in 2 T of butter. (can omit) Turn the mixer on and add in a pinch of baking powder and 1 t of salt. Turn the mixer off and add 3 cups of flour. Turn the mixer on and let it go on about 3, until the dough is well mixed. Let it go a couple minutes more if it's a wetter dough. If you want you can then knead it a few minutes on the counter. I find that the less I 'work' the dough the better it is. Place it in a buttered bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to double. When double, smoosh it down and start cutting off hunks. I have a feel for how much I need, but you can form into an even roll, lightly and cut off 12 pieces. Shape them by tucking under the edges a few times, unti lthe top is smooth and you have a semi ball. Press down on cornmeal, then flip over and press the other side down, set aside on a cornmeal dusted board, counter or cookie sheet to rest and rise. After I make all 12, I then push them all down to flatten a bit.
Walk away until they are almost double. Come back get a large dry skillet. (I use a stainless one or a have a double burner grill/griddle pan, but I found the dry skillet is easy to control the heat on.)
Put the skillet on medium, (griddle on med-low)..put down the muffins, they will deflate just a touch when you pick them up, but leave them be, and they rise back up. Let set until they start to get a dark golden brown, then flip and wait until that side gets a dark golden brown, cool on a wire rack.
Store what you can't eat in a few days in the freezer. I recycle old bread bags to store them in.
These are the texture of a Thomas, not a grocey store english muffin. I slice them in half with a bread knife, the insides are soft and have little airy spots, not big craggy bits.
The recipe ingredients to c/p.
English Muffins
1 c warm milk
1/4 c warm water
1/2 T sugar
2 1/4 t yeast
pinch of baking powder
2 T butter
1 t salt
3 cups flour
