England: English Muffins

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.01

 
     Title: "English" Muffins (bakestone Recipes)
Categories: Breads, Breakfast
  Servings:  4

 
      1 lb All-purpose or bread flour
      1 t  Salt
  1 1/2 T  Dry yeast
      1 t  Sugar
      8 fl Warm milk and water
      2 oz Butter, melted

 
  (Note:  Over here, and in England, these are just called "muffins", and
  are the ones in the song about the Muffin Man who lives in Drury Lane.
  They did actually sell them door-to-door every morning in London until the
  turn of the century or thereabouts.)
  .
  Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and leave in a warm place.  Dissolve
  the yeast and sugar in 1/4 pt of the warm milk and water.  Leave to froth,
  then mix in the fat.  Stir all the liquid into the warm flour and beat
  well until smooth and elastic.  Cover and prove 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 (using
  the sharpest knife you have) slice into 8 to 10 portions, each about 1 1/2
  ~ 1 3/4 inch thick.  Shape each one into a round with straight sides.  Put
  onto a greased baking sheet.  Cover (I use greased plastic wrap) and put
  in a warm place to prove for 30-40 minutes or until springy to the touch.
  Leave room for expansion and be careful not to over-prove, as the muffins
  will get flabby and lose their shape.   Warm and grease the bakestone
  lightly.  Lift the muffins carefully onto the bakestone and cook over very
  moderate heat for 8-10 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.
  .
  These are strongly recommended.  The taste of them hot off the bakestone,
  griddle or frying pan makes Thomas's look very poor indeed by comparison.

 
MMMMM

About the bakestone: The bakestone is a utensil commonly used in the home baking of many traditional European cuisines, especially English and Irish traditional baking.

It's not usually made of stone (though some that are do exist). Normally it's a flat, rimless circle of cast iron, with a hoop (often moveable) that allows it to be hung over a fire. On the bakestone, various kinds of cakes, pancakes and "small baking" can be produced. The steady, even conduction of heat through the heavy cast iron produces a very high quality of baking.

Bakestones work as well on a gas or electric stove as they do over a campfire or a cooking hearth. If you're interested in getting a bakestone, you can obtain one from:

Highland Marketing Ltd.
Unit 20
Atlantic Trading Estate
Barry
South Glamorgan
Wales CF6 6RF
UK
phone: (+44)446-744956

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