English Muffins

Ingredients

• 300g/10½ oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for flouring
• 6g fast-action yeast
• 6g salt
• 15g/½ oz caster sugar
• 15g/½ oz softened butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium free-range egg (about 22g/¾ oz), lightly beaten
• 170ml/6fl oz milk (should make a soft dough – you can add up to about 30ml/1floz extra if needed)
• oil, for greasing
• 15g/½ oz semolina or polenta, plus extra for dusting

Instructions

1. 1
   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.
2. 2
   Turn the mixture out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until soft, smooth and stretchy.
3. 3
   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.
4. 4
   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.
5. 5
   Lightly dust two baking trays with half of the semolina or polenta.
6. 6
   Using a 9cm/ 3 ½ in 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.
7. 7
   Leave to prove for another 30 minutes.
8. 8
   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.