CELTIC MUFFINS

Revision: 0.10, 23.Jun.05 13:49

[Caution:  This recipe is still under construction--steal at your own risk!]

This hardy muffin is said to be of Celtic (pronounced Kel'-tick) origin and are much tastier than the modern-day, garden-variety English muffin.

Time:  About 5-8 hours

Type:  Lean sourdough flatbread

Yield:  About 14 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Stir together the sourdough starter in warm water, salt, and about 2-1/4 cups of the flour.  Stir or mix until it comes away from the sides of the bowl.  Turn out onto a floured work surface.  Knead in the final 1/4 cup of flour.  Only a few minutes of kneading should be required.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover and put into a warm place (~80F) for 2-4 hours (with longer being better). 

Punch down the dough and allow a second rise for about an hour or so.  Then turn it out onto a well-floured work surface.  Roll or pat the dough to a thickness of 3/8" with a rolling pin or your fingers.

Cut out the muffins using a 3 to 3 1/4" diameter cookie cutter, or any convenient glass or can.  Spread out the cornmeal (or you can also use semolina (Durham, pasta) flour) and gently flop your muffin in it so that both sides get dusted.

After all the muffins are cut out and dusted, cover them with a cloth and leave them on the work surface to rest for 30 minutes.  This rest is important because it gives your muffins time to rise and fluff before you bake them.

Heat a dry frying pan to medium hot and drop in some muffins with a spatula for about 5 minutes on each side.  Be aware that cooking times will vary with a wide variety of factors.

It is not necessary to cook the muffins thoroughly.  About 85% done is enough, because the final cooking actually takes place in the toaster or back in the skillet before your serve it. 

Splitting with a fork rather than slicing with a knife is the way to go because the fork does a certain amount of disfiguring, which permits the muffin to hold large amounts of butter and jam when it is done cooking.

Allow left-over muffins to cool, and when thoroughly cool, store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  When you get the urge, and it's O.K. if that is several times a day, take a muffin from the bag, split apart, and finish the cooking in a hot skillet or toaster.