Nutritious Cranberry Walnut English Muffins with a Sweet Maple Twist
Al Wood
Nutritious Cranberry Walnut English Muffins
Al Wood
16
2 hours
5-7 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups warm milk (about 105º F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy-free butter, softened
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons Wood's Vermont Cranberry Maple Syrup
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 ½ cups King Arthur Bread Flour
- 1 cup White King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
- ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Directions
- Add the milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle in the yeast and mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
- Add the butter, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, egg, and both kinds of flour. Start the mixer on low (so the flour doesn’t go everywhere) and then increase the speed to medium. Continue to beat on medium for about 4 to 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and satiny but still quite soft (compared to other yeasted doughs). If it is sticky, a small amount of additional flour may be needed.
- Add the cranberries and walnuts, and then beat again for a few seconds until incorporated.
- Using well-floured hands and/or an oiled spatula, transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and form into a very rough ball. Turn once to coat, then cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Spray a griddle (or large nonstick skillet) with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle generously with cornmeal (I use a large griddle that covers two burners).
- With floured hands, gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal-sized pieces. (I have a set of biscuit cutters of different sizes. I press the dough to about 1/3 inch thick and cut it with a biscuit cutter about 3 inches in diameter. Place the muffins on the prepared cold griddle, then sprinkle the tops with cornmeal (they can be pretty close together on the griddle).
- Cover the muffins with a clean kitchen towel or parchment paper and let them rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Turn the griddle or burner on low heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. You’ll want to watch them closer on the second side of cooking - I’ll sometimes flip them back over to the first side if they are brown enough on the second side and the first side isn’t quite as golden. The muffins may cook at slightly different rates, depending on where they are on the griddle.
- If the muffins start to brown too quickly (and are not cooked through), carefully transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350º F oven until done (another 5 to 10 minutes).
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining muffins (if you do this in batches).
- When ready to eat, use a fork to split the muffins, not a knife (otherwise, you won’t get all the nooks and crannies!).