English Muffins – for a healthy breakfast

English muffins are a classic English breakfast recipe that is made using flat-type leavened bread. The bread is usually cut horizontally and toasted, buttered and eaten. The muffins are not baked, but rather toasted (I used a flat-pan). The muffins look similar to burger buns but the process and the ingredients vary for both. Muffins are comparatively denser than burger buns.

I made a filling of spinach (palak) and a rajma (red kidney bean) curry for the muffins, thereby making them a wonderfully nutritious start for my day

Makes: 4 muffins

Preparation time: 2 hours Baking time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – ¾ cups
All-purpose flour/maida – ¼ cup
Active dry yeast – 1 tsp
Milk – 1/3 cup
Oil – 1.5 tbsps
Sugar – ½ tbsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Semolina or suji  – 1 tbsp

Water – as needed

Procedure:

1. Add sugar to the milk and heat it slightly till it is warm. It should not be hot, if you place your finger in it, you should be able to bear the heat.
2. Add the yeast, mix once and let it rest in a warm place, preferably in a closed oven till it foams up and becomes creamy. Then the yeast is activated and ready for use.
3. Sift the wheat flour and all-purpose flour along with salt and oil in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the activated yeast, enough water and knead well. Dough should be sticky at this stage.
5. Flour your work surface and knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes till you get soft and smooth dough.
6. Place it in a greased bowl and cover with damp cloth or cling film (make sure it is air-tight) and let it rest to rise for atleast 1 hour. Overnight would be best.
7. After an hour, the dough would have risen. Punch it and transfer it to your work surface.
8. Roll it into ½ inch thick sheet and cut it into roundels (the size of a muffin or burger bun). Combine the remaining dough and once again roll it into a sheet and cut roundels until all the dough is used up.
9. Let the roundels rest on a tray covered with a damp cloth for atleast 30 minutes.
10. Heat a tawa or flat-pan on medium-low heat, sprinkle some suji on it. Toast the dough roundels on both sides till they turn dark golden brown in color. The crust should be crisp but the inside should be soft.
11. Transfer to a rack and let them cool.
12. Cut them horizontally and place your favorite filling on them and enjoy them like burgers.

Note:

1. You may add egg to the dough for a lighter texture.
2. The dough should initially be very sticky and wet, only then you will get a good texture.

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