Whole Wheat English Muffins

Ingredients

1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (200 g) whole wheat flour

1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (200 g) unbleached all- purpose flour

1½ tablespoons kosher salt

1¾ cups (420 ml) buttermilk (see Note), at room temperature

2¼ teaspoons (7 g) active dry yeast

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, honey, or molasses

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large egg white, at room temperature

Optional add-ins (see below)

About ¼ cup (45 g) semolina flour or fine cornmeal, for dusting

Directions

Whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt in a large bowl.

Pour the buttermilk into the bowl of a stand mixer, but don't connect it to the mixer yet. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes to rehydrate. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and egg white and whisk to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients, then attach the bowl to the mixer and snap on the dough hook. Knead just until the dough comes together. Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Continue kneading on medium speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes. (You can knead this dough by hand, but it's very wet and sticky.) If using either of the optional add-ins, add now and knead just until the additions are incorporated. They may not be perfectly distributed; that's okay.

Coat the inside of a bowl with olive oil, transfer the dough to it, cover, and let rise for about 4 hours at room temperature, until it's more than doubled in size. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. This dough is sticky and will be easier to handle after a rest in the fridge, and the slow cold rise develops more flavor in the dough.

Lightly flour a work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Divide into 12 pieces (helpful, though perhaps obvious, tip: First cut the dough in half, then cut each half into two, and finally cut each of those quarters into 3 pieces). Shape each piece into a ball, adding as little flour as possible.

Line two sheet pans with parchment and dust generously with the semolina flour. Place the dough balls onto the sheet pans, keeping them at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart; they will spread a bit. Cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour They should be very puffy and almost to the point of collapsing.

After the dough has been rising for about 30 minutes, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

When the dough balls are done rising, heat a large ungreased cast-iron skillet, griddle, or other flat, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Very gently transfer the muffins to the pan a few at a time, depending on how much space you have. Keep the remaining dough balls covered.

Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes @ Gently flip the muffins and cook for another minute or two on the other side. (If the semolina starts to burn in the pan, wipe it out with a paper towel.) Return the muffins from the skillet to the sheet pan (or use a new one). Once all the muffins have been browned, transfer the sheet pans to the oven and bake until cooked through and slightly puffier, 8 to 10 minutes.

Let the muffins cool completely, preferably on a rack O, and then split them open with a fork for maximum nooks and crannies. These will keep well wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or for a few months in the freezer.

Notes

This dough is sticky and may take some practice to work with, but the reward is light, crispy muffins with all of the requisite nooks and crannies. If a dozen seems too many to eat in the next two days, split the extra baked muffins and freeze them; thaw by wrapping in foil and heating in a 350°F (175°C) oven. For a fabulous brunch, go crazy with an array of these spreads: Honey Butter with Bee Pollen (page 307); Maple Butter (page 307); Bacon, Scallion, and Black Pepper Cream Cheese (page 308); Dill, Cucumber, and Celery Cream Cheese (page 308); Beet, Smoked Salmon, and Caper Cream Cheese (page 311), and Pickled Pepper Cream Cheese (page 311). -Makes 12 muffins

Note: If you have dry buttermilk powder left over from making the Handy Spelt-Flour Pancake Mix (page 220), use it here as a substitute for buttermilk: Stir ¼ cup (30 g) of the dry buttermilk into 1¾ cups (420 ml) water.

+ ADD-INS:

Add either of these to your dough, as described in the recipe:

½ cup (75 g) raisins

½ cup (60 g) very roughly chopped pitted Kalamata or other brined olives