LARGE ENGLISH MUFFINS RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Gently warm the milk in a pan till lukewarm or body temperature, 37ºC. Add the yeast and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside for a few minutes until the mixture is creamy and starting to froth.
  2. Melt the shortening or lard, then in a large bowl, mix the yeast mixture, flour, shortening or lard and a pinch of sea salt into a soft dough. Add a little extra milk or flour, if needed.
  3. Knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  4. Knock back the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 2cm thick. Using a round cutter or thin drinking glass, cut out circles of 5 to 8cm.
  5. Lightly sprinkle a piece of baking parchment with extra flour, or polenta (if using). Transfer the muffins to the paper and sprinkle over a little more flour or polenta. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour to rise.
  6. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3 and heat a heavy non-stick pan over a medium heat.
  7. Brown the muffins in the pan, in batches, for a few minutes each side, then turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray and finish with 5 minutes in the oven, or until cooked through.
  8. Cool slightly on a wire rack then split open and spread with melted butter, or keep in an airtight tin, to split and toast as needed.

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on one side of the flour and the salt into the other side of the flour. Add the sugar, butter, egg and milk, then mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough.
• Turn the mixture out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until soft, smooth and stretchy.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
• Dust the work surface with a mixture of the semolina/polenta and flour. Tip the dough out onto the work surface and roll out to about 2.5cm thick.
• Lightly dust two baking trays with half of the semolina or polenta.
• Using a 9cm/3½oz straight-sided cutter, cut out eight muffins. Place four muffins, evenly spaced apart on each of the dusted baking trays. Dust the remaining semolina or polenta over the top of the muffins.
• Leave to prove for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the hot plate or a heavy-based frying pan on the hob to a very low heat. Griddle the muffins for approximately 5-6 minutes, then flip over and griddle for another 5-6 minutes on the other side.