Uncle Bill's "Whole" Wheat Muffins

Uncle Bill was known for his English Muffins. This is how I learned to make English Muffins over 20 years ago. One year for Christmas he gave me a dozen empty cat food cans, ends removed  and he and Grams cried as I tried to figure out a purpose for the gift and to graciously accept it. Later he produced the recipe, which follows.

You will need TINS made from cutting both ends out of cans you have opened…. Tuna cans, small olive cans etc.  Just make sure the tin cans are not to tall.

SPONGE

½ cup    HOT tap water

1  cup    WARM milk, half & half, or other

3  tbs.     Sugar, honey, or artificial sweetener

1  tb        Salt

1-2 pks.  Dry yeast dissolved in 2-tbs. HOT tap water

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1 cup   sifted white flour

1 cup   sifted whole wheat flour

1.    Pre-heat oven to about 175-200.  TURN OVEN OFF when temperature is reached.

2.    With electric beater on HIGH, thoroughly mix the first FIVE ingredients.

3.    Add mixed flours to the liquid a large spoonful at a time and thoroughly mix.

4.   Cover the bowl with the sponge and place in the oven and let rise until doubled.  If the sponge falls don’t worry.  It’s still useable.

MUFFINS

4 tbs.       Softened butter or margarine

¾ cup      Sifted whole wheat flour

½ cup      Sifted white flour

1.      Pre-heat oven to about 175-200.  TURN OVEN OFF when temperature is reached.

2.      Add the final three ingredients.  Mix thoroughly utilizing as much flour as possible.  If the dough doesn’t seem to have the right consistency, add additional flour until satisfied.

3.       Turn dough onto floured board.  Knead for 5 or 6 minutes.  Roll.

4.       Cut muffins with tins and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5.      Place cookie sheet and muffins in over and let rise to top of tin.  (Some muffins wonb’t rise as high as others.  So there is some inconsistency in muffin size.)

BAKING

1.        Pre-heat oven to 350

2.        Place another cookie sheet, bottom down, on top of the tins and muffins.  Weight the cookie

           sheet down with a brick or something similar.

3.        Bake for 20-25 minutes.

4.        Remove brick or weight and cookie sheet.

5.       Turn each tin and muffin over.  (use a pair of pliers.)  Gently push each muffin of of tin onto

              the cookie sheet.

6.        Continue baking muffins for another 20-25 minutes.  When the muffins feel hard-crusted to

              the touch, they are done.

7.        Remove from oven and let cool.  When cool store in a covered container of some kind.  When

              covered, the crust will soften.

In the absence of bricks...yes there ARE muffins under that baking sheet! 

We did love these. Why did I quit making them? I got tired of a drawer fully of cat tins and bricks.

Our family grew and I thought I'd never keep up with the demand...bread was easier.  I switched to baking lots of breads and rolls. That worked.

We moved to Japan....finding time to bake bread and all the ingredients I needed was a challenge. I began to buy Thomas English Muffins and realized all liked them better than bread...  For a once in a while treat I was fine with buying them...for a staple I wanted more control of the ingredients. I also noted that several LOVED sourdough...and this reminded me Michael had asked me decades ago to learn to bake with sourdough...but it was intimidating.  I decided 2012 was the year to learn how to bake with sourdough and begin baking muffins again.

Check the "sourdough info" link under recipes for more info on how to start a sourdough starter.

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...