This week on my blog, my Happy Hawks Homeschool crew and I will be making English muffins. Do you enjoy eating a toasted English muffin slathered in jam? If so, then this may be the post for you. We would be thrilled for you to join us. in our family kitchen, as we make this iconic breakfast food together.
Most people today are familiar with English muffins, but for those of you who are not, I will give a little background information on this special treat. English muffins are a delicious breakfast food/anytime food that is eaten in many different countries around the world. They are not sweet like American muffins, but instead, a crunchy and soft yeast bread.
English muffins, originally named “toaster crumpets,” were invented by an Englishman- who moved to America- named Samuel Bath Thomas.
Now, If I have piqued your interest and made your tummy rumble (even just a little), keep reading to find out how English muffins are made in my home.
~English Muffins- a Lovely, Fast Meal~
As a mom, I often need quick and easy breakfast options to feed my four children-and English muffins fit that bill. English muffins are a versatile breakfast food that can be made sweet or savory…depending on the topping of choice.
This week, I am going to share some delicious “Englishy” muffins with you all. The recipe I use is adapted and inspired by Mary Berry’s English Muffin recipe found in her Baking Bible cookbook.
This recipe was part of our homeschool reading, math, and science lesson(s). We learned about yeast as a leavening agent, and we used our math fraction skills to measure out our ingredients. I love to incorporate hands-on learning into my homeschool lessons whenever I can. (To read about my yeast soft pretzels click here.)
I will also be featuring some beautiful, secondhand, vintage items in my post- so be on the lookout for those little beauties as well.
Let’s get baking, shall we?
~Easy English Muffin Recipe~
English Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Warm the milk. Add sugar and stir. Add the yeast and stir again. Leave the liquid yeast mixture until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
- Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the milk/yeast mixture into the well. Stir together until combined.
- Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth (about 5-7 minutes by hand).
- Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter.
- Place the cut rounds of English muffin dough on a flour-dusted sheet pan. Sprinkle corn meal on the tops of the dough. Cover with plastic and allow the dough to rise for approximately 45 minutes-one hour.
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet or griddle and spray with olive oil spray. Cook each side of the muffin for 6-7 minutes (on medium heat-high) or until golden brown.
- Enjoy immediately or toast later. Serve with honey butter and raspberry jam- or however you wish.
Notes
~A Vintage Dish- A Thrifty Wish!~
Of course, the first rule of being in the kitchen is to wash our hands. After helping clean eight little hands, and my own, I then like to take my wedding bands off as well- to avoid getting the dough in all the small crevices of my rings.
And press the rewind button here…
A while back, I visited a thrift store and purchased a sweet, made in England, plate featuring some familiar ladies and a lovely thatch cottage.
I was initially drawn to the plate because of the quaint cottage. Unsurprisingly, my romantic mind began to wonder what the two ladies may be speaking of.
I bought the plate, appreciating it, but having no particular use for it…
…Until one day- I was kneading bread- when I noticed, I had annoyingly forgotten to take my rings off. The sticky bread dough was making a mess of my wedding bands…Oh, dearie me!
In my crossness, an idea dawned on me! I would use my darling, little plate as a ring holder for the kitchen counter.
An idea had emerged from my vexation, which led me to a practical use of a vintage plate. Now, the petite plate is both useful and characterful-and helps me to keep track of my jewelry while baking.
I love when a secondhand item receives a new life and a new story to tell.
Always be on the lookout for little dishes to hold your trinkets, as they can be very handy, and very thrifty.
~Breakfast, The Most Important Meal of The Day~
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…they say. My children (and husband) would probably disagree thinking that ALL meals are the most important.
Nevertheless, I like to have the option of sweet or savory when it comes to important breakfast foods.
To cater for the sweet, I made a homemade raspberry jam to go along with our English muffins. I also made a honey-butter spread that is equally delicious.
~Raspberry Jam Recipe~
Easy Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
Method
- Wash raspberries and add to a heavy bottom saucepan.
- Add sugar to the tops of the raspberries, stir, and allow the raspberries and sugar to sit for 15 minutes with no heat.
- Mash the berries with a fork.
- On medium heat, bring the berries and sugar to a slow boil (only briefly) and then turn the heat down to a low simmer.
- Cook the raspberry jam for approxoimately 10 minutes until thick and 210 degrees F. (Perform the jam cold plate test to ensure the jam is ready to be removed from the heat).
- Allow to cool just a bit before adding to your sterilized jam jar of a bowl for immediate use. The raspberry jam will thicken as it cools. Store remainder in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
~Easy Honey Butter Recipe~
Honey Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Stir room temperature butter until it is smooth and creamy. (You could also do this with a mixer, but it is not necessary if the butter is soft.)
- Add the warm honey and stir.
- Pipe with a piping bag for an elegant look or serve from a bowl.
- Enjoy with English muffins or on toast. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
~Beans For Breakie~
As an extra nod to England and my husband, I added a fried egg and a chili-infused English cheese to my homemade English muffins. Of course, I could not forget to add beans to the dish, as beans are a very common breakfast food in England. (To read about a simple English breakfast baguette with beans click here:).
I do make my own English-inspired beans (which I will share in a later post), but for this post I used Heinz beans… just to keep things simple. (Afterall, I am a busy mom of four littles).
These Heinz beans are not the same as American baked beans (which are generally sweeter), but instead-they are served in a tomato base with mild seasonings.
Rewind a little here…
On my first trip to England, I vividly remember a hotel breakfast of beans on toast and beans on eggs. As an American, I did not know what to think of such a thing. Years later, when I was living in England, I grew to appreciate- and even enjoy- beans as breakfast food.
However, not all of my children will eat beans on their English muffins. So, I made the jam and honey butter for them.
In place of the jam, we also like to add the honey butter and the golden syrup to our English muffins for an extra special treat.
~Beans a good Accompaniment to English Muffins~
~A Bit of Basket Texture~
The silver-plated fruit basket (you will see in the background of some photos) was a bargain I found at a church rummage sale. It was very tarnished, but with lots of elbow grease and silver polish, it shined up beautifully. I also plan to use this as a breadbasket. I love its simple, thin lines and shapely form. It is a vintage piece and a characterful kitchen decoration.
~A Silver Server~
Also, the silver serving dish was a rummage sale find, and was equally as tarnished.
It reminded me of an English, Muffin-warming pan. I bought it for its beauty- yes, but also for its function as a warm place to serve our English muffins.
The traditional English, muffin pan is a dome shape and used to keep muffins on the table warm. Sometimes they even have a hot water compartment to keep the muffins warm for longer.
~Homemade, Beeswax Food Saver~
I made beeswax, food-saver cloths for the top of my jam jar. This is an easy, charming project that makes the jars look beautiful and cozy. Beeswax food-cloths can also reduce the need for plastic wrap. (However, they are not airtight- and therefore- are not suitable for all food storage. Our jam had the lid underneath, so I used these wraps as a decoration in this particular case.)
My oldest daughter enjoys helping me make these.
It is a very simple process.
- First, choose a bit of cotton fabric that you adore.
- Second, use a small pot lid as a template to cut out a circle of the chosen fabric.
- Third, place aluminum foil or parchment on the ironing board (this layer protects the ironing board). Add a few beeswax pastels for the underside of the fabric. (The beeswax can be purchased at a craft or hobby store.)
- Fourth, place your cut fabric on top of beeswax, and add more beeswax pellets to the top of fabric (adding parchment paper on top of wax and fabric to protect your iron).
- Fifth, iron until the beeswax melts. Allow to cool and dry.
This can be a messy project if the board and iron are not protected- the melted beeswax will spread- so allow for extra parchment.
~The Steps for Making Beeswax Food Covers~
~A Textured, Basket Tray~
The basket tray that I used to serve and display our English muffins is an antique find that I will use in a variety of ways. For this post, it is serving as an interesting food tray for my breakfast and cuppa English tea.
The tablecloth and lace, table runner were also purchased at the church rummage sale, and I love how elegant and soft they make the tablescape look.
A white, monochromatic, layered style that gives the space a subtle texture and an elegant feel.
~Beauty in the Everday~
Making everyday items beautiful and lovely is one of my favorite things.
A secondhand item here, a vintage piece there, a spread of backyard flowers, a scatter of delicious food (i.e. English muffins), and a sprinkle of love to cover it all…now that is a recipe for a beautiful start to a wondrous day.
I challenge you all to look for the lovely in each new day.
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Until next time…
~Elizabeth~
