CORNMEAL ENGLISH MUFFINS

1 1/4 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
3 1/2 to 4 cups unsifted bread flour, divided use
2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup yellow cornmeal

In small saucepan, heat milk until bubbles appear around side of pan-remove from heat and add butter. Set aside to allow butter to melt and mixture to cool to warm (about 105 to 115 degrees F).

In small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand until foamy-about 5 minutes.

In large bowl, preferably of heavy-duty electric mixer, combine 2 cups flour and the salt; make a well in center of flour mixture. Add the milk mixture, yeast mixture, and the egg. With wooden spoon or dough hook of mixer, beat until smooth batter forms. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the cornmeal to batter and beat until soft dough forms. Continue beating until dough pulls away from side of bowl.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead dough, adding as much of remaining 1/2 cup flour as necessary to prevent stickiness, until smooth and elastic-about 6 minutes.

Wash, dry, and oil mixing bowl; place dough in oiled bowl, turning to bring oiled side up. Cover with clean cloth and let dough rise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in size-about 1 hour.

On floured surface, roll dough out to a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. With 3-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out dough to make muffins. Reroll trimmings and cut out more muffins. Cover muffins with clean cloth and let rest 20 minutes.

Lightly oil a heavy skillet and heat over medium heat.

In batches, place muffins in skillet and cook about 3 minutes or until bottoms are browned and muffins puff up; turn over and cook other side 2 to 3 minutes or until muffins are cooked through and browned on other side. Serve warm.

Makes 20 English muffins
Source: Country Living magazine, January 1994