(english) muffins

light and fluffy comfort food, good toasted with plenty of butter and jam

• they used to be just muffins, but the rise of the completely different sweet american muffins means we have to call them english muffins nowadays!
• this recipe, based on Paul Hollywood's, adds an egg to the traditional recipe, giving a richer texture

• makes about 10 muffins

600g strong white bread flour (plus more for dusting)
12g dried yeast
12g salt
30g caster sugar
30g softened butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg (ie about 45g weight), lightly beaten
340ml milk (should make a soft dough – you can add up to about 60ml extra if needed)
oil, for greasing

• Tip the flour into the bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle in the yeast and the salt. Add the sugar, butter, egg and milk, then mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough.  Continue to process until soft, smooth and stretchy.
• (You can also do this by hand, mixing the ingredients in a bowl, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.)
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
• Dust the work surface with flour*. Tip the dough out onto the work surface and roll out to about 2.5cm thick.
• Lightly dust two baking trays with flour*.
• Using a 9cm straight-sided cutter, cut out muffins. Press the final bits and pieces of dough into the ring to make the last one.  Place muffins, evenly spaced apart on dusted baking trays. Dust the top of the muffins. with flour*.
• Leave to prove for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the hot plate or a heavy-based frying pan on the hob to a very low heat. Griddle the muffins for approximately 5-6 minutes, then flip over and griddle for another 5-6 minutes on the other side.

 *PH uses semolina or polenta, but flour seems to work fine.