Charls English Muffins

Homemade English muffins cooked on a griddle instead of in the oven is how they were originally made, and the difference from store-bought is night and day. These have a crispy cornmeal-dusted exterior and that signature nooks-and-crannies interior that traps melted butter in every crevice.

The dough is a basic yeast bread: scalded milk, shortening, sugar, salt, and water mixed with flour and yeast into a soft, pliable dough. Rolling it out to just ¼ inch thick and cutting 3 ½-inch rounds keeps them flat enough to cook through on a griddle without a raw center.

The griddle cooking is what creates the texture. Seven minutes per side over moderate heat gives you a golden-brown, slightly charred exterior while the inside steams and develops those irregular air pockets. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Too cool and they dry out without browning. Slow and steady is the way.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the griddle at medium-low. English muffins need gentle, even heat. If the first one browns in under 5 minutes, your griddle is too hot.
• Let them rise fully. A full hour at 85 to 90°F (29 to 32°C) until doubled. Under-proofed muffins come out dense instead of airy.
• Split with a fork, never a knife. Pulling them apart with fork tines preserves those craggly nooks. A knife creates a smooth, flat surface that defeats the purpose.

Variations

• Whole wheat English muffins: Replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier, heartier muffin.
• Cinnamon raisin: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ cup raisins to the dough before rolling for a breakfast-sweet version.