One of my pet peeves is crushed cereal at the bottom of the box, but over the years I've learned a few ways to use it. My favorites are Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bran Cereal, Chocolate Chip Bran Bars and Bran Bread. And now I have a new one: Bran Cereal English Muffins.
Bran Cereal English Muffins from All Bran
Bran Cereal English Muffins are originally from All Bran's collection, but I modified the recipe to use with a stand mixer & dough hook and added 1 tablespoon of sugar which enhanced the flavor but didn't make the muffins sweet.
They took a while to bake since the "baking" process is just letting them cook very slowly on low in a skillet, but the process was relaxing and kind of fun.
We enjoyed them even though the texture was not quite like traditional English muffins with big nooks and crannies. These had more uniform crumb and a chewy (when toasted) texture.
Recipe
Bran Cereal English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup reduced fat milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 scant teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup bran cereal
- 1 package dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water 110° to 115° F
- 2 ¾ cups flour plus a little more for the surface
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Combine the milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan and heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in the bran cereal. Let stand until lukewarm.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and let sit until it foams.
- Stir in cereal mixture. Gradually add 2 ½ cups of the flour and the sugar. Add the cereal mixture and stir well, then put under the dough hook and knead. If the dough seems to sticky and clings to the side of the bowl, add a few more tablespoons of flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl. Turn the dough over so that it is slick from butter in the bowl, then cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll out to ½-inch thickness. Cut with floured 3-inch biscuit cutter into 12 rounds. Place on baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour or lined with parchment. Cover with a greased sheet of plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until double in volume, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat electric fry pan to 250° F or preheat large regular fry pan over low heat – I used a large non-stick skillet. I heated it to medium then reduced to heat to low. Place rounds (4 at a time or however many fit) in the pan and cook for 20 to 24 minutes, turning halfway, until sides are done and middles are about 200 degrees F. Cool completely. Split, toast and serve.
megan says
I haven't made english muffins in years....and I should, because I have the forms and everything.
By the way, I'll be back in Austin on Monday 🙂
Karen Schmidt-Dill says
Too funny, I have been looking at English muffin recipes. I really want to try a sourdough version. I think you have inspired me. Thanks for the hint about cooking/frying/heating them very slowly in the skillet. I don't think it says that in any of the recipe books I have checked.
Sue says
Homemade English muffins are the best! Great use of those troublesome crumbs too.