This easy English muffin recipe, adapted by Chef John, uses clarified butter to pan-fry each muffin to golden, crispy, warm, and delicious perfection.
Preparation Time
20 mins
Cooking Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Calories
256 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Whisk ¼ cup flour, ½ cup water, and yeast together in a large bowl until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix in remaining 1 ¾ cups flour, remaining ¼ cup water, egg white, oil, and salt until well combined; dough will be very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, place in a warm spot, and set aside to rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Step 2
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; generously sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.
Step 3
Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface; work in just enough flour until dough is easy to work with, about 1 minute. Cut dough into 6 equal portions; form each into a seamless dough ball, adding a pinch of flour to keep from sticking to the work surface. Flatten dough balls into thick disks; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Set aside to rise until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Step 4
Heat about 2 tablespoons clarified butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Carefully transfer muffin disks to the skillet, in batches to avoid overcrowding; brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Continue flipping until muffins evenly browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes more per side. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely (this is key as you can't split muffins unless they're cool). Repeat with remaining clarified butter and muffin disks.
Step 5
Split cooled muffins with a fork, inserting tines all around the edges so both sides can be pulled apart. Toast and serve with jam.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 egg white
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal, or as needed
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for rolling
