How to Make Fresh English Muffins for Breakfast | Cold Proofing Method

English muffins are a classic breakfast item. But making them in the morning can take quite some time and effort. The cold proofing method solves all the problems for breakfast bakes. All the work is done the night before and the only thing left to do in the morning is baking the bread. Use this method to always have freshly baked bread for breakfast.

This English muffin recipe is quite like the other one I posted a couple years ago. The main difference is that it is cold proofed and uses the no-knead method. Instead of kneading this sticky dough and making a mess we simply fold the dough a few times during bulk fermentation and achieve the same result with far less effort and clean-up required.

This recipe makes 4 muffins. To make more simply multiply all the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

150g (5.3oz) white bread flour

10g (0.35oz) melted butter

2g (0.07oz) salt

1g (0.035oz) instant dry yeast or 1.2g (0.42oz) active dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) honey or sugar

1 egg yolk

90g (3.2oz) milk*

Semolina or polenta to sprinkle

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the milk, melted butter, egg, yolk, yeast, salt, and honey. Mix well to dissolve the salt completely and to distribute the ingredients evenly.
2. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
3. Cover and ferment for 15 minutes.
4. Fold #1
5. Ferment for 15 minutes.
6. Fold #2
7. Ferment for 15 minutes.
8. Fold #3
9. Ferment for 15 minutes.
10. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls.
11. Roll the dough balls around in polenta or semolina and place them on a non-stick paper lined tray or a plate. Cover with cling film.
12. Cold proof for 12 hours.
13. Place the proofed dough balls on a frying pan sprinkled with polenta or semolina. Flatten them slightly.
14. Place the pan on the cooker on low-medium heat.
15. Cook the muffins for 30 minutes in total. Turn them and flip them about every 7 minutes until they are nicely browned on both sides. This should take a long time. If the heat is too high, they will colour on the outside but still be raw in the middle.

Crack them open, fill them up and enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.