Cooking Classics: Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins

Cooking Classics

The Technique

Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins

English muffins are incredibly simple to prepare in your own kitchen. Time & patience are really the only key factors when baking a batch. Contrary to what you may have thought, the muffins are cooked on the stovetop either on a griddle or in a cast iron skillet. Cornmeal is used during the second rise to ensure the dough is easy to handle once they are ready to brown in a little butter. Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins offer particular depth in flavor & texture not only from the buttermilk but from a simple starter blend that is left to stand for up to 48 hours. A smattering of cornmeal throughout the dough instead of just over the surface makes these breakfast table classics worth your time & attention. Learn how to prepare English muffins. The recipe is most certainly one you’ll want to revisit again. 

Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins
makes a bakers dozen

Cornmeal Starter
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 Tbsp honey, divided
2 3/4 all purpose flour 
1/4 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup whole buttermilk, at room temperature
1 Tbsp butter, melted & cooled 
Plain yellow cornmeal & butter

Combine the water, the yeast & 1/2 tsp honey in a measuring cup. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Whisk together the flour, the cornmeal & the salt in the work bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Add the buttermilk, the butter & the yeast mixture. Blend using the dough hook attachment on Low speed 15 seconds until the dough begins to combine. Stop the mixer & add the starter. Blend on Low speed 1 minute or until the dough forms a mass. Increase the speed to Medium & blend 5 minutes. Stop the mixer. The dough will be firm but soft & easy to handle. Remove the dough from the work bowl & place onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a ball & place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl. Coat the surface with cooking spray & cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 1 hour & 30 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size.

Punch the dough down & turn out on a lightly floured work surface. Roll to a 1/2-inch thickness & cut 13 {3 3/16-inch) circles. Place the dough 1 1/2-inches apart on parchment paper lined half sheet pans that have been generously coated with plain yellow cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 45 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size.

Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over Medium-Low. Place your hand a few inches above the surface after 2 minutes. If if feels warm, add a generous portion of butter to the skillet, allow it to melt & pick up the skillet swirling it around until it coats the bottom. Place 3 pieces of dough into the skillet. Cook 10 minutes turning after 3 minutes or until the bottom begins to turn golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to keep them from getting too dark. Cover the skillet during cooking with a half sheet pan to be certain the interior of the muffins cook throughly. Repeat with the remaining dough. Conversely, cook the dough on a buttered griddle set to 275 to 300 degrees 10 to 12 minutes turning after 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. The English muffins will produce a lighter color using this method & more of the dough can be cooked at one time.

Cornmeal Starter
makes enough for 13 muffins

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp plain yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup tap water

Combine the ingredients in a medium glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand on the countertop up to 2 days.  

FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}

How To Make Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins

English muffins have always been a breakfast table favorite due in part to the wonderful texture they add to a plate of scrambled eggs & bacon. Just a smattering of butter or freshly prepared fruit preserves make them quite lovely. The English muffins can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week to prolong shelf life but be certain to refresh them for a few seconds in the microwave or pop into the toaster. They can be stored in the freezer up to 3 weeks in an airtight container or zip top freezer bag. Once you taste a batch made from scratch, you will not be buying them ever again.

The Technique

A little preplanning will be in order to prepare the Buttermilk-Cornmeal English Muffins as the starter will need attention well in advance. Read through the recipe to evaluate the items & equipment that will be needed to complete the task. Here’s what you should know. 

No. 1

The Ingredients & The Blending Procedure

The Starter

Begin by preparing the Cornmeal Starter. This provides tremendous depth to the English muffins. Combine the flour, the plain yellow cornmeal, the active dry yeast & the water in a medium glass bowl. 

Use a rubber spatula to ring the bowl sides & allow the dough to form a mass. Cover it with plastic wrap. Leave the bowl on the countertop up to 2 days.  

When you are ready to prepare the dough, remove the plastic wrap. The starter will have settled into the bowl & you’ll find bubbles all over the surface. 

The Yeast

Dry active yeast can be purchased in 1/4-ounce packets or in small jars. I use both when preparing bread recipes, generally based on what my store has in stock at the time. If purchasing a jar of yeast, store it in the refrigerator after opening. Just be mindful of the expiration date so you don’t find yourself in a jam. You’ll find that 2 1/4 teaspoons is the equivalent to 1 envelope of active dry yeast. 

The Proofing

It’s a good idea to dissolve dry yeast before using. Simply stir it into warm water with a little of the honey & allow to stand for several minutes. Yeast feeds on sugar for fuel creating a bubbly personality. If no bubbles are created during the proofing process, the yeast will not be able to do its’ job. Simply discard the batch & start again. At this point, you’ll only be five minutes into the procedure so don’t get discouraged. 

The Flour, The Cornmeal & The Salt

The protein found in flour provides dough strength & structure. The development of gluten is key in order to build the foundation for homemade breads of quality. Cornmeal adds texture. Salt gives dough flavor. Without out it, expect a dull tasting roll. However, salt can kill yeast so it should be evenly dispersed into the flour before the yeast mixture is added.

The Mixing

You’re now ready to add the ingredients together & begin the blending process. Simply add them to the work bowl, attach the dough hook & blend the ingredients as directed in the recipe. A heavy duty stand mixer fit with a dough hook is a bread makers friend. It will take care of all of the muscle work when it comes to kneading the dough. Bread doughs will give your mixer a good workout. Don’t leave it unattended as it will rock & shake a bit as the dough mixes.

Combine the water, the yeast & 1/2 tsp honey in a measuring cup. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Whisk together the flour, the cornmeal & the salt in the work bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Add the buttermilk, the butter & the yeast mixture. Blend using the dough hook attachment on Low speed 15 seconds until the dough begins to combine. Stop the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to push the starter into a small sticky mass as it will deflate once disturbed. Add the starter to the ingredients in the work bowl. Blend on Low speed 1 minute or until the dough forms a mass. Increase the speed to Medium & blend 5 minutes.

No. 2

The Work Bowl Removal

 Stop the mixer. The dough will be firm but soft & easy to handle. Remove the dough from the work bowl & place onto a lightly floured surface.

No. 3

The First Shaping

Form the dough into a ball giving it a few quick spins to produce a compact mass. Place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl. Coat the surface with cooking spray & cover with plastic wrap. 

No. 4

The First Rise

Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 1 hour & 30 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size. Punch the dough down & turn out on a lightly floured work surface.

No. 5

The Portioning & The Second Shaping

Roll the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness & cut 13 {3 3/16-inch) circles.

5a

Place the dough 1 1/2-inches apart on parchment paper lined half sheet pans that have been generously coated with plain yellow cornmeal. 

No. 6

The Second Rise

Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot free from drafts 45 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size. 

No. 7

The Cooking

Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over Medium-Low. Place your hand a few inches above the surface after 2 minutes. If if feels warm, add a generous portion of butter to the skillet, allow it to melt & pick up the skillet swirling it around until it coats the bottom. Place 3 pieces of dough into the skillet. Cook 10 minutes turning after 3 minutes or until the bottom begins to turn golden brown. The dough will slightly puff upwards as they begin to cook.

7a

Adjust the heat as needed to keep them from getting too dark. Cover the skillet during cooking with a half sheet pan to be certain the interior of the muffins cook throughly. Repeat with the remaining dough. Conversely, cook the dough on a buttered griddle set to 275 to 300 degrees 10 to 12 minutes turning after 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. The English muffins will produce a lighter color using this method & more of the dough can be cooked at one time. Split the muffins with a knife & serve with butter, Citrus Apple Butter or homemade jam.

The Tune 
“Ninety-Nine And A Half” Wilson Pickett

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Be sweet.