English Muffins with Variations
Source: Woman's Day, Mar 13, 1979 by Pauline M. Miller)
Makes about 24

YEAST-FLOUR MIXTURE
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 teaspoon salt
1 envelope active dry yeast

LIQUID MIXTURE
1 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

REMAINING INGREDIENTS
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal

In a large mixer bowl, stir together Yeast-flour mixture, set aside.

Heat liquid mixture until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add gradually to yeast-flour mixture and beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat at high speed 2 minutes.

Stir in just enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more remaining flour if dough is sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free place until double, about 1 hour.

Punch down. Cover and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes. Punch down.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1/2 inch thick. With 3 1/4 inch round cutter (or clean tuna can opened at both ends) cut out muffins.

Sprinkle cookie sheets lightly with cornmeal. Add muffins, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with additional cornmeal. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until double, about 45 minutes.

Heat lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet.

With wide metal spatula *carefully* remove muffins (do not compress or puncture muffins or they will collapse) to griddle.

Bake over very low heat 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until light brown. (Muffins should sound hollow when tapped.) Cool on racks. To serve, split with fork tines; toast.

Variations:

Oatmeal English Muffins - add 2 cups rolled oats to yeast-flour mixture. Use brown sugar instead of white.

Cornmeal English Muffins - Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup flour in yeast-flour mixture. Use molasses instead of sugar.

Onion English Muffins - Add 1 envelope onion-soup mix and 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder to yeast-flour mixture and decrease salt to 1 teaspoon. Increase butter to 2 tablespoons and use *only* sugar. Substitute 1 3/4 cups water for the milk in liquid mixture (total 2 cups water).

Orange English Muffins - Add 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder and 1 tablespoon grated orange peel to yeast-flour mixture. Substitute 1 3/4 cups orange juice for the milk. Increase butter to 2 tablespoons.

Mushroom English Muffins - Decrease salt to 1 teaspoon. If desired, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon thyme or 1 teaspoon instant minced onion to yeast-flour mixture. Use *only* sugar. Substitute for the milk 1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup plus just enough milk to equal 1 3/4 cups. Add one 4 oz can mushrooms, drained and chopped, when beating in the egg.

Cheese English Muffins - Use *only* sugar. Add 2 cups shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese (1/2 pound) when beating in the egg.

Maple-Walnut English Muffins - Substitute 1 cup whole-wheat flour for 1 cup all-purpose flour in yeast-flour mixture. Use brown sugar or molasses and increase to 3 tablespoons. Add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract and 1 cup finely chopped walnuts when beating in the egg. NOTE - If desired, substitute 3 tablespoons maple syrup for the sugar and extract.