Homemade English Muffins

I celebrated a birthday recently and was gifted a couple of excellent bread baking books.  In the book my sister gave me I came across a recipe for English muffins that caught my attention. I had never even contemplated making them from scratch.  As it turns out, its not very difficult and well worth the effort.  Besides having an excellent texture and taste, the English muffins are cooked on the stove top and leave the house with the aroma of fresh bread for days.  I felt lucking they turned out as well as they did because in the course of making the muffins I left home to respond to the "Mail Box Peak Mission"  (see the blog post from last week).  The dough had just finished rising so I asked Molly to throw it in the fridge and maybe I could salvage it tomorrow.  As it turns out, overnight refrigeration was not hindrance at all. Now I know I can mix the dough in advance and cook the muffins in the morning!

Here is the recipe:
1 and 2/3 cups milk, scalded (180 F)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1.5 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 packet (2.25 tsp.) yeast
4 cuts all purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
Cornmeal for dusting

Pour hot milk into mixing bowl.  Stir in butter, salt and honey, and mix until butter is milted.  Let cool to 105F.  Stir in egg and yeast.  Stir in both flours, and mix to form a rough ball.

Knead for five minutes or so until smooth.  Place dough in bowl, cover, let rise one hour until doubled.

Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out 3" circles.  Place circles on a baking sheet with cornmeal.  Spring more cornmeal on the top sides.  Let circles rest for 20 min.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Cook muffins 6-8 min, turn over and cook another 6-8 min.  Monitor carefully to make sure they are browning but not burning. Enjoy!