Homemade Whole Wheat English Muffins

Adapted from The Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Yield: 10 muffins

Sponge:
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
¾ cup warm water
1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. instant yeast

In the bowl of your stand mixer or bread mixer, combine flour, water, honey, and yeast. Whisk together until smooth, whisk for about 2 minutes to incorporate air.

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk
½ tsp. instant yeast
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Cornmeal
Melted butter

In a separate dry bowl, combine whole wheat flour, dry milk, and yeast. Mix well and sprinkle on top of the sponge; do not stir. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature (sponge will bubble through the top flour mixture).

To mix: Add butter and mix with the dough hook on low speed until a rough dough is formed. Cover again and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and knead (in mixer) for around 10 minutes (if your mixer is old and/or tired, finish kneading by hand). The dough should be smooth and shiny, but a little tacky (sticky); add flour or water, as necessary. Put dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. Deflate the dough and recover it; place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to 24).

Sprinkle a sheet pan with cornmeal. Lightly flour your counter and roll out the dough until about ¼ inch thick. Use a 3 1/2” biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Reroll with scraps and cut until dough is done (if dough gets too hard to roll – i.e. starts to spring back when you roll it out – cover it and place it back in the fridge for 1 hour to relax the gluten). Set the pieces on the baking sheet, leaving space between them; dust with cornmeal and cover loosely with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Let them rise for about 45 minutes or until ¾” tall.

Once risen, heat an electric griddle to 275 degrees, or a skillet/gas griddle over low heat. Brush the griddle with melted butter and place the muffins on the griddle. Cook for 10 minutes, or until browned, on first side. Flip over and continue cooking until second side has browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Split the muffins, using a fork, to create “nooks and crannies.” Enjoy toasted with butter or homemade jam.