English muffins facts and benefits

English muffins are actually small, round, flat (or thin) type of yeast-leavened bread which is commonly sliced horizontally, toasted, and buttered. English muffin is one of those foods that we all eat but we rarely ever give any thought to. But this simple breakfast bread has quite an interesting history, and it a bit more complex than you probably think. English muffin is yeast-risen, and bears little resemblance to its American counterpart, the muffin, which is known as a “quick bread” since it uses baking soda instead of yeast. In fact, English muffins are a lot closer to the English crumpet, which is a lot spongier and pancake-like, but closer in resemblance. In reality, there’s nothing else quite like the English muffin.

Toasted English muffins, which are often served as a breakfast food, are served with sweet toppings (e.g., jam or honey) or savory toppings (e.g., cooked egg, sausage rounds or bacon and cheese). Mr. Thomas probably brought the recipe with him or recreated it from a cookery book. English muffins are most often toasted and then topped with butter and/or jam. English muffins are also used in breakfast sandwiches with meat (bacon, ham, or sausage), egg (fried, scrambled, poached or steam-poached), and cheese. They are an essential ingredient in the breakfast dish Eggs Benedict. English muffins can be purchased in a wide range of varieties, including whole wheat, cinnamon raisin, cranberry, and apple cinnamon, or they can be homemade.

History

Origin of English muffins is not clear, but at least one of the antecedents may have been “Bara Maen,” a yeast leavened cake baked on hot stones in 10th century Wales. A similar cake or muffin baked on griddles was popular in 19th century England. Later hot fresh muffins were sold door to door in the early morning, hence the “muffin man.”

Most sources attribute the introduction in America of what is today called the “English muffin” to S.B. Thomas. The young Samuel Bath Thomas was familiar with these muffins and their recipe before he moved to America from Plymouth, England, in 1875. By 1880, he had saved enough money to open a shop of his own in Manhattan and the rest is history.

It became quite popular on the turn-of-the-century hotel and restaurant scene, as it was seen as a sophisticated alternative to toast. The term “English muffin” was coined in 1894 and was soon widely adopted. Today you can find Thomas’ English Muffins in most English supermarkets. Imported from America.

Nutritional Value

Apart from their wonderful taste, English muffin is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 57 gram of English muffin offers 16.6 µg of Selenium, 0.571 mg of Manganese, 0.246 mg of Vitamin B1 1.64 mg of Iron, 25.54 g of Carbohydrate, 201 mg of Sodium, 0.166 mg of Vitamin B2 and 1.913 mg of Vitamin B3. Moreover many Amino acids 0.064 g of Tryptophan, 0.152 g of Threonine, 0.194 g of Isoleucine, 0.34 g of Leucine, 0.154 g of Lysine, 0.083 g of Methionine and 0.103 g of Cystine are also found in 57 gram of English muffin.

Health benefits of English muffin

English muffin is one of those foods that we all eat but we rarely ever give any thought to. But this simple breakfast bread has quite an interesting history, and it a bit more complex than you probably think. listed below are few of the health benefits of consuming English Muffins

1. Build and Maintain Lean Muscle with High Quality Protein

The more lean muscle you build and hold on to, the more trim and healthy your physique.  It really can be that simple.  Each muffin contains 8-10g of clean, REAL, protein mainly from egg whites, yogurt, and whey isolate protein.  That’s the equivalent of 2 egg whites.  Plus – three phases of protein that help you feel satisfied.

2. Boost your Energy and Lower Cholesterol

Slow-burning whole grain oats are the perfect carb to fuel your day or your workout.  Plus, they help stabilize blood sugar to prevent any energy dip in your day.

How to Make English Muffins

What You Need

Ingredients

For the dough starter:

• 3/4 cup (3 1/3 ounces) all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast (or 2 tablespoons active sourdough starter)

For the English muffin dough:

• 1 cup milk, whole or 2%
• 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 3 1/4 cups (13 1/2 to 14 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour or bread flour
• Cornmeal for dusting
• Butter for the skillet

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Stand mixer (optional)
• Whisk
• Stiff spatula
• Pastry scraper
• Baking sheet
• English muffin rings (optional)
• Large skillet (cast iron, stainless steel, or nonstick)
• Pancake spatula

Instructions

1. Make the dough starter: Mix the flour, water, and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy, about 100 strokes.
2. Let the starter sit 1 to 12 hours: Cover the starter and place it out of the way for at least 1 or up to 12 hours. The starter will become progressively bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk. The longer you can let the starter ferment, the better the flavor and structure of your finished English muffins.
3. Whisk together the water, yeast, and starter: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become quite frothy.
4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you form shaggy, floury dough.
5. Knead the dough: With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand against the counter. If the dough is very sticky like bubble gum, add extra flour as needed, but err on the side of caution. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will feel slightly tacky to the touch, but shouldn’t stick to the bowl or your hands.
6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge: Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.

Quicker English Muffins: You can also let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and then make the muffins immediately. These muffins will have a milder flavor.

7. Divide and shape the muffins: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter to shape into smooth, round balls.
8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a little apart. If you have muffin rings, place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.
9. Let the muffins raise until puffy: For dough that was refrigerated, this will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours; for room temperature dough, this will take about 1 hour. Depending on the size of your muffin rings, the muffins may not totally fill the rings — that’s okay.
10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter — enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking.
11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on one side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet — allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer the muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side: Flip the muffins and cook the other side until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. If you prefer thinner, less puffy English muffins, you can gently press the tops with the spatula to prevent them from rising too much.
13. Adjust the heat as needed: If your muffins seem to be browning too quickly on the bottoms (or not quickly enough), adjust the heat as needed. (If you find that your muffins are browning too quickly, throw them in the oven at 350°F to finish baking through.)
14. Finish cooking all of the muffins: Transfer cooked muffins to a cooling rack. Continue working in batches until all the muffins have been cooked. Add a small pat of butter to the pan between batches to prevent sticking.
15. Split and serve! Split the English muffins with a fork, spread with butter or jam (or both!), and eat. English muffins will keep for several days in an airtight container on the counter and are fantastic warmed in the toaster oven. Fresh English muffins can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and kept frozen for up to 3 months.

Storage

English muffins may be refrigerated for up to 30 days and kept frozen in an airtight container for 6 months.

How to Eat

• Mix no-fat cream cheese and apple butter or strawberry jam and spread on a warm muffin.
• Jelly with or without peanut butter.
• Melt low-fat cheese over an English muffin.
• Place a poached egg on one half of a muffin and top with salsa.
• Top with cinnamon and sugar and toast under broiler until brown. Butter is optional.
• Shrimp or crab salad on a toasted muffin, topped with melted mozzarella cheese.
• Use a toasted English muffin as a bun for your favorite sandwich.
• Toasted with garlic or herb butter.
• Spread with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkle with sweet basil. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes in oven.
• Left-over tuna salad? Spread on muffin, sprinkle with cheese and broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread with pizza/spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Broil 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_muffin

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artenglishmuffins.html

http://www.ndwheat.com/uploads/resources/407/english-muffins.pdf

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