Sweet Kitchen Cravings

Heat milk in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat until the temperature reaches 80-90 degrees F, or use the microwave. This is just to take the chill off the milk so make sure not to overheat it or it will kill the yeast.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in this order: milk, yeast, flour, butter, honey, then salt. Mix on low speed until combined then increase to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be smooth but tacky and should slightly stick to your fingers.

Place the dough in a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot, or at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and sprinkle on some of the cornmeal to create a light layer.

Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Gently press out any air bubbles then form the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 8” wide by 12” long and about ¼” thick. You can use your hands to press out the dough or use a rolling pin, but make sure not to roll the dough too thin.

Dust a 3 ½” round cookie or biscuit cutter with flour and cut 6 rounds out of the dough. It’s normal for the dough to shrink slightly at this stage. Set the pieces of dough on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Dust the tops of the dough pieces with more cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for about 45 minutes or until ¾” high.

For the remaining scraps of dough, knead them together and press into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes to relax the dough. Then roll out the dough large enough to yield 2 more rounds and repeat step 5.

Preheat a griddle, cast-iron skillet, or non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. You can tell that it’s ready when a drop of water sizzles on contact.

Lightly grease the pan with butter. Gently add the English muffins to the greased pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook until the bottom is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Flip the muffins over and cook until the other sides brown, about 5-7 minutes more. The internal temperature of the muffins should be around 190°F.

Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Use the prongs of a fork to split the muffins open. Toast and serve with butter, jam, or your favorite topping!