Title: "english" muffins (bakestone recipes)
 Categories: Muffins, Breads, Breakfast
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 lb All-purpose or bread flour
      1 ts Salt
  1 1/2 tb Dry yeast
      1 ts Sugar
      8 fl Warm milk and water
      2 oz Butter, melted
 
  (Note:  Over here, and in England, these are just called "muffins",
  and are the ones in the song about the Muffin Man who lives in Drury
  Lane. They did actually sell them door-to-door every morning in
  London until the turn of the century or thereabouts.) . Sift the
  flour and salt into a bowl and leave in a warm place. Dissolve the
  yeast and sugar in 1/4 pt of the warm milk and water.  Leave to
  froth, then mix in the fat. Stir all the liquid into the warm flour
  and beat well until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove in a warm
  place for 50 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Turn onto a
  well-floured board and knead, working a little more flour if
  necessary to make the dough easier to shape. Round up the dough, roll
  into a thick sausage shape and (using the sharpest knife you have)
  slice into 8 to 10 portions, each about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inch thick.
  Shape each one into a round with straight sides.  Put onto a greased
  baking sheet.
   Cover (I use greased plastic wrap) and put in a warm place to prove
  for 30-40 minutes or until springy to the touch. Leave room for
  expansion and be careful not to over-prove, as the muffins will get
  flabby and lose their shape.   Warm and grease the bakestone lightly.
   Lift the muffins carefully onto the bakestone and cook over very
  moderate heat for 8-10 minutes until pale gold underneath. Turn and
  cook the other side.
   Wrap in a cloth and keep warm if cooking in batches.
   To serve, insert a knife in the side, pull the top and bottom
  slightly apart, and insert slivers of butter. . These are strongly
  recommended. The taste of them hot off the bakestone, griddle or
  frying pan makes Thomas's look very poor indeed by comparison.