English Muffins

So here is another recipe, like my choc chunk cookies, that only requires the egg whites and not the yolks. Perfect for using up the left over whites after a custard or ice cream making session. And the addition of the whisked egg whites gives a wonderfully light texture to this traditional English recipe. I love to eat these lightly toasted and topped with a couple of poached eggs as part of a lazy Sunday brunch….a perfect way to finish off any weekend!

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cups of luke warm water

4 cups strong flour

2 ½ teaspoons of instant yeast

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 egg whites

Put the water into a large bowl and add the yeast, baking soda and 2 cups of the flour. Mix well to form a smooth paste and allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes.

Put the egg whites into a separate bowl and whisk until you form stiff peaks.

Gradually add the egg whites to the dough mixture a spoonful at a time, folding it gently into the paste until combined, but be careful not to overwork the dough.

Gradually add the rest of the flour along with the salt to the mixture, again folding the remaining flour in gently.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough has an elastic type consistency and the dough bounces back to its original shape when you make an indentation with your thumb.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a warm room for an hour to rise.

After an hour turn the dough out onto a floured surface again and roll it out until it is about ½ inch thick. Then cut out circles roughly 10cm in diameter, either using a circular cookie cutter, or using a knife, carefully cutting around something like a pint glass to provide a circular guide.

Allow the circles of dough to rest for 45 minutes and then cook them using a frying pan or griddle. If using a frying pan lightly grease it and place over a medium high heat. Place the discs into the pan, or onto the griddle once it is heated up and cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side, repeat this twice cooking the muffins for a total of 16 minutes.

Then enjoy freshly cooked or toasted the next day. These can also be frozen to be enjoyed at a later date.

Recipe from cookingbread.com