Whole Grain Raisin English Muffins

This recipe comes from a bakery on the East Coast. The  recipe was for originally 40 muffins. Since the recipe was in percentages "Bakers Formula" it was easy to reduce to a more workable size.

This is a direct dough recipe, using Spring Hard White whole grain flour.

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 Equipment
Scale: The best investment in your kitchen!
Bowl: You can do this recipe by hand the dough is soft.
Cookie Sheet: You will need 2
Hamburger Pan: Specialty pan used for making hamburgers (not needed)
Electric Skillet/ Grill or large pan for the stove

English Muffin Recipe
Oven: 350 degrees
Bake: 25 - 30 minutes (flipping half way thru)
Grill: 300 degrees
Servings: 12 (4 inch muffins about 100g each)

4 c. Hard White flour (558g)
3 1/2 T. Powdered Milk (29g)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt (11g)
1 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast (5g) or use a package of yeast
2/3 c. Raisins (100g)

2 1/4c. Water (531g)
2 T. Apple Sauce (28g)
1 tsp. Butter (6g)

Just a note on measuring, it's always best to weigh your ingredients, but if you don't have a scale I have converted the grams into cups and measuring spoons for you.
Additional Options: Walnuts (111g)

Directions:

• Add all the ingredients to the mixer bowl. Put the paddle attachment onto the mixer and mix until all of the dry ingredients are scraped off the bottom of the bowl. It will be very wet.
  
• Wet your hands with water and shake off the extra. Now with damp hands wet the counter.
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the wet counter top. Try to form the dough into a ball the best you can. Fold and slap 3 times- watch video below.
  
• Leave the dough on the counter and invert the bowl over the dough, and let raise.
• Total raise time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Set one timer for the total time.
• You will be using a techniques called slap and fold every 30 minutes. So set a second timer for the first 30 minutes.
  

Weigh the Ingredients

Mix with Paddle Attachment

Dough Combined

The video ..... Slap and Fold Technique
Wet your hands and counter before you slap and fold your dough on the counter. Watch the video below for the technique. This technique allows you to develop the gluten while keeping the air bubbles in the dough. You will be slaping and folding the dough a total of 4 times. Once right after you mix it, dump it on the counter. Slap and fold 3 times. I invert the bowl on the counter with the dough under it so it will not dry out.  You will do this every 30 minutes, until the 1 1/2 hours are up. The video is only to show you the technique.

Slap and Fold

Form Ball

Divide into 12 Pieces

• Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, weight it out if you have a scale.
  
• Grease your pan and dust with corn meal. I have a specialty pan used to make hamburger buns but a cookie sheet will also work. The difference is they may not be perfectly round depending on how well you shaped them.

Grease & Dust Pan

Form Ball

Place in Pan

• Let them raise around 45 minutes they should be puffy and about the finished size.
• Just a note; this is not the traditional way of making English Muffins. Most use rings and a griddle or skillet to cook them. I have looked at the rings and they are expensive and I have found the rings are not needed if you bake them in the oven like I do, then finish on the griddle or stove top in a pan.
• I place my pan on top of a empty cookie sheet and place both in the oven. If you are making them on a cookie sheet, place a second empty sheet under the one you are using. This will prevent them from becoming too brown on the bottom.
• Bake at 350 degrees for a total of 20-25 minutes. flip them over half way, at around 10 minutes and bake another 10-15 minutes.
  
• Heat your electric skillet or pan to 300 degrees. Remove the muffins from the oven and place on the griddle and toast until golden in color. This step is just to add color. Flip over and do the other side.
• Remove and cool thoroughly (2 hours) before splitting with a fork. To do this insert your fork in the middle of the side of the muffin all the way around and pull. This is the best way to cut an English Muffin.
  

Browning on Griddle

Fork Muffin

Enjoy!

• Cool for 2 hours before cutting.
• I freeze mine they are nice toasted, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. You will never buy English Muffins again, once you make your own.
• They are not hard but do require you to be around the house, since there is so much time between kneading.
  

I hope you try these they are easy, and freeze well so you can enjoy them for a long time.

Tamara