THOMAS ENGLISH MUFFINS VEGAN RECIPES

Steps:

• Add your flour, instant dry yeast, salt, and sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix until just combined (in a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on the lowest speed). Add vegan butter and almond milk to dry ingredients and continue to mix until you have a shaggy dough (I use speed setting #2 on the stand mixer). It’s okay if it’s a little sticky at this stage.
• Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• After an hour, bring the dough out and either knead it by hand on the counter, or place it back in the stand mixer bowl and knead using the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed (I use the 3rd speed). Knead until the dough is smooth, about 4-6 minutes in a stand mixer.
• Shape your dough into a ball, then return it to the oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, place your dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to about 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick. Use a biscuit cutter (or the top of a glass) that’s about a 3 1/2-inch (9-cm) diameter circle to cut your muffins. You can re-roll remaining scraps of dough, however they may not come together as well as the first roll-out.*
• Prepare a small bowl with some cornmeal or semolina flour. Dip the top and bottom of each muffin in cornmeal to coat (avoid the sides), then place the muffins on the parchment-lined baking trays. Leave space between the muffins, as they may expand. Cover the muffins with a kitchen towel, then let the dough rise until the muffins are doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Then heat a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat (on my stove, that’s somewhere around the 3rd or 4th notch). You can use a regular stainless steel pan as well, if you don’t have a cast-iron pan. As you cook your muffins, you may need to adjust your heat. If your muffins are turning golden brown before 4-5 minutes, then your pan is too hot. If they’re not turning color at all within 5 minutes, then your pan is too cool.
• Dust your muffins with some additional cornmeal or semolina, then use a spatula to place a few of them in your pre-heated pan, leaving space between them. Transfer them as carefully as possible to help maintain the shape, but don’t worry if they don’t look perfect when they hit the pan. They’ll still puff up and regain their shape while they’re cooking. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottoms of the muffins are just golden brown. Turn the muffins and press down a bit with the spatula to ensure the bottoms are flat, and cook on the other side for 5 minutes more. Return the muffins to the baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough.
• When you have a full tray of cooked muffins, place them in your preheated oven for about 5 minutes to ensure they’re cooked all the way through.
• Transfer the fully-baked muffins to a wire rack to cool, then split each muffin with the prongs of a fork, all the way around, and pull the muffin apart. Toast and serve with vegan butter and jelly (or any toppings you like)! Enjoy!

Steps:

• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and leave in a warm place.
• Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm milk. Let froth, then mix in the butter. Stir all the liquid into the warm flour and beat well until smooth and elastic. Cover and proof in a warm place for 50 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• Turn onto a well-floured board and knead, working a little more flour if necessary to make the dough easier to shape. Round up the dough, roll into a thick sausage shape, and slice into 8 to 10 portions, each about 1½ to 1¾-inch thick.
• Shape each into a round with straight sides. Put onto a greased baking sheet. Cover and put in a warm place to proof for 30 to 40 minutes or until springy to the touch. Leave room for expansion and be careful not to over-proof.
• Warm and grease the bakestone lightly. Lift the muffins carefully onto the bakestone and cook over very moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes until pale gold underneath. Turn and cook the other side. Wrap in a cloth and keep warm if cooking in batches.
• To serve, insert a knife in the side, pull the top and bottom slightly apart, and insert slivers of butter. Enjoy!