English muffin
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EnglishMuffinOnPlate_wb.jpg
An English muffin is a round yeast-leavened bread enriched with butter and milk, often served at breakfast in the United States and Canada. An English muffin is cooked on a griddle, so that the first side cooked tends to be flatter and firmer. Cooking on the griddle causes a spongy interior with many nooks and crannies. They usually have a white floury band around the circumference and have a bit of grain meal loose on the outside. English muffins differ from the crumpet somewhat, in that the dough is usually drier to start with, so that a muffin ring is not required to hold the batter's shape, although one is often used.
Muffins can be split with a fork, which preserves the airy nooks and crannies better than does cutting with a knife. The two halves are usually reheated in a toaster or toaster oven and are often served with butter or jam. It is also common to toast the muffin with cheese and other items between the two halves.
The origin is somewhat unclear. Instructions for cooking a similar flat bread have existed since at least 1747, although credit for the phrase "English muffin" is often given to Samuel Bath Thomas, an English baker who emigrated to New York and began producing his "muffins" around 1880. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, gives the phrase's origin as 1902.
Most English muffins are mass-produced. The most popular brand of English muffins in the US is Thomas' English Muffins. To make the muffins easy to split, during the manufacturing process they are run past wheels with Roman spear points that penetrate the muffins' sides.
English muffins are usually available in regular flavor (usually unsweetened white flour), sourdough, whole wheat, and raisin, and occasionally in gourmet flavors such as blueberry, orange spice, and so on. Most English muffins are 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) across and less than an inch (2.5 cm) high, although gourmet varieties are somewhat larger.
English muffins are a primary ingredient in eggs Benedict.
External links
- Discussion of English muffin versus crumpet (http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-cru1.htm)
- A little more history (http://www.foodreference.com/html/artenglishmuffins.html)
- Recipe for Thomas English Muffins: [1] (http://www.rosewave.com/Recipes/RestaurantRecipes/ThomasEnglishMuffins.htm), [2] (http://www.cooknchat.com/recipecards/breads/bread27.html)