Homemade English Muffins

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
¼ ounce, weight yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons if you measure that way, like me)
¼ cup cornmeal
5-½ cups flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine milk, butter, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm until butter starts to melt, then whisk briefly. Remove pan from heat and allow liquid to cool to lukewarm.

Pour water into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir gently with a fork. Set bowl aside for 10 minutes, or until yeast has dissolved.

Line baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle with a generous amount of cornmeal.

Pour cooled milk mixture into yeast mixture and gently stir until well blended. Add 3 cups flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in remaining flour and salt until the dough is no longer sticky. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and dust with flour. Flour hands and knead dough for 3-4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out dough with rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles (a tumbler or mason jar does well). Transfer muffins to prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with a dry, lightweight towel and let rise until doubled in height, 35-45 minutes.

When muffins have risen, heat a skillet (I used a flat, electric skillet - could fit 6 muffins at a time!) over medium heat. Carefully lift muffins from the pan and place on the ungreased skillet. Cook about 10 minutes on each side, using a spatula to flip them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before splitting (with a fork) and toasting them.

Makes about 18-20 muffins.  Store muffins you don't eat in the fridge.  (They also freeze really well.)

Notes:
Confession: I love making yeast breads.  Kneading dough is one of my favorite things!  And since I'm no longer working in the lab with cell cultures (which had prohibited me from working with yeast for years) I am definitely taking advantage of my new-found freedom.  I saw this recipe a long time ago, and knew that it was going to be on my must-make list.  Finally I tried them out.  And then I debated (for a week or two) about whether or not to post the recipe afterward.  While these muffins looked exactly (well, maybe not exactly - but pretty darn close) like the kind you can buy in the store, I was a little disappointed in the flavor.  They just seemed a little bland by themselves.  Are English muffins from the store made from sourdough?  I don't know - and I'll probably keep looking for recipes that are a bit more authentic in flavor.  Despite all that, we, of course, ate them anyway.  They made excellent mini pizzas!