Our nano-kitchen is no longer a bread virgin! This morning I baked a batch of English muffins, my favorite breakfast item. I used a recipe found in Susan’s Wild Yeast blog, that calls for a mixture of whole wheat and regular flours, and baked them on our electric griddle. It was wonderful to feel the smell of freshly baked bread in our new home.

WHOLE-WHEAT SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS
(adapted from Wild Yeast blog)

For the sponge (make the day before baking)
110 g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)
160 g bread flour
100 g whole wheat flour
276 g milk

for the dough
all the sponge
75 g bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp honey

Combine all the ingredients for the sponge in a medium bowl, cover and keep at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

Add the dough ingredients and mix to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then knead by gently folding a few times in the bowl. Cover and repeat this minimal kneading two more times over a 45 minute period. Do not add more flour, it will be a little sticky, but with time it will gain body and be easier to handle.

Flour the counter, pat the dough gently over it, cut in 8 pieces and form each one very gently into a flat circle. Place them over a floured parchment paper (dusted with semolina flour or cornmeal if you like), sprinkle flour on top and cover. Allow them to rise for 1 hour.

Cook them on a very hot griddle (450F) slightly coated with oil. Cook them 7-8 minutes per side, but make sure to flip them in the beginning every 2 minutes, this will ensure nicely shaped muffins. Cool completely before splitting them (preferably using a fork).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve been on a quest for the perfect sourdough / whole wheat muffin, and tried 4 different recipes in the past few weeks. My only change to Susan’s recipe was modify it for minimal kneading, and slightly increase the proofing time. I tried it with a higher proportion of whole wheat in the final dough, but that compromised the texture. This variation gave me the best crumb and still a hearty taste from the whole wheat flour.

I am sending this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting, my first submission straight from the nano-kitchen! So exciting! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO:  Kaiser Rolls