Do you know the muffin man?
“Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man? Do you know the muffin man, who lives on Drury Lane?”.
“The Muffin Man” is a traditional English nursery rhyme and singing game dating back to at least the 19th century. It tells the story of a muffin peddler living on Drury Lane in London. It is often played as a game where children ask each other the question, and the number of people who “know the muffin man” grows.
Muffins originated in England as indicated by the very first muffin recipes that emerged in the British cookbooks during the year 1785. Since the majority of households during the nineteenth century didn’t have ovens, street vendors called “muffin men” sold similar yeast-leavened cakes that were eaten warm with tea.
Although often considered uniquely American, the English muffin originated as a 10th-century Welsh yeast-leavened bread called “bara mean”. The most credit for introducing muffins to the U.S goes to Samuel Bath Thomas who migrated from England to the U.S during the 19th century, opened his bakery by using his mother’s secret recipe for muffins, and began selling English muffins to nearby hotels and grocery stores.
Today, English muffins are more popular in America than in their place of origin. He popularized the term “English muffin” to distinguish it from cake muffins. Also known as toasted crumpets, this yeast-leavened bread visibly stands out with its crater-like surface, aka the “nooks and crannies.” The English muffin is designed to be split with a fork, rather than sliced, to ensure a craggy texture perfect for holding butter and jams.
When Thomas Jefferson moved to Washington as president in 1801, he missed the simple muffins made by his cook Peter Hemings back home at Monticello. The muffins that Jefferson loved so much were yeast raised and cooked on the griddle and were what we now call English muffins. There are muffin stories and a recipe on the Monticello website.
English muffins first appeared in U.S newspapers in 1859 followed by muffin recipes that began to be published by many popular U.S culinary magazines in 1870.
The 1970s McDonald’s Egg McMuffin popularized the English muffin further. Today, most fast-food breakfast menus have a muffin-based offering.
English muffins are considered a breakfast bedrock, particularly in English-speaking countries like the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
English muffins are generally considered healthier than white bread because they typically have fewer calories (approx. 120–140), lower fat, and less sugar per serving. They are often enriched with nutrients like selenium and B vitamins, and whole-wheat versions offer higher fiber, which aids in digestion and satiety.
English muffins are not to be eaten straight out of the packaging like regular muffins. Since they are slightly doughy, it’s required to get them toasted on both sides before eating.
There’s a lot to love about English muffins; from their crisp cornmeal-coated exteriors to the craggy bread inside. They are most often served split, toasted, and slathered with softened butter, jam, or honey. But don’t relegate English muffins to just snack or breakfast. I use a toasted English muffin when I make tuna melts or for egg salad sandwiches. Quick pizzas, baked into a casserole or used for French toast are all good ways to use English muffins.
English Muffin Breakfast Bake
Servings: 6 -8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
12 slices good-quality, lean bacon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 standard-size English muffins
12 large eggs
2½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
Instructions
Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously grease the bottom and sides a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with the butter.
Place an ovenproof baking rack on a sheet pan and place the strips of bacon in a single layer on the rack. (If you don’t have a rack, just place the bacon directly on a sheet pan.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon has begun to brown. Remove the pan and carefully brush the strips of bacon with maple syrup. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the bacon and allow to drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the bacon and set aside.
As the bacon cooks, cut the English muffins into 1-inch cubes. (Do not halve them horizontally as you would normally for the toaster.) Spread the cubes on a sheet pan and bake on the other oven rack for 15 minutes, until toasted and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in large bowl. To assemble, sprinkle half of the bacon, 1 tablespoon of the chives, and 1 cup of the cheese (in that order) onto the bottom of the baking dish. Add the English muffin cubes on top in one even layer. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan, pressing down lightly to make sure all the muffin cubes are moistened. Top with remaining bacon, cheese and chives.
Wrap well and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Before baking, turn the oven to 350 degrees. If the dish has been in the refrigerator overnight, let it come to room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until puffed and cooked through. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for serving
8 slices (8 ounces) Canadian bacon
4 English muffins, split
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Blender Hollandaise Sauce, kept warm
Watercress, for serving
Cayenne pepper, for serving
Directions
Crack eggs into a bowl. Fill a large pot with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to medium. When water is barely simmering, tilt pan slightly to create a wave and add eggs all at once. After 30 seconds, gently release eggs from bottom of pan with a rubber spatula. Cook eggs until white is set and yolk is still soft, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer eggs to a bowl filled with room temperature water.
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add Canadian bacon in two batches and cook until crisp, flipping once, about 4 minutes per side.
Preheat broiler. Arrange English muffin halves craggy side up on a baking sheet. Broil until golden and toasted, 1 minute. Spread with butter and top with crisp bacon. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and blot on a folded paper towel to remove excess water. Top muffin halves with poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise over muffin. Top with watercress and a pinch of cayenne.
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and let cool slightly. Add egg yolks to the jar of a blender. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the melted butter. When all of the butter has been added, season with lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Blend to combine. The sauce should be thick but still able to drizzle from a spoon (and it should form a pool, not a mound). If it is too thick, thin it with a little water. The sauce is best if used immediately but can sit for about 30 minutes over hot water in a bain-marie or in a Thermos.
Homemade English muffins
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 package instant dry yeast 0.25 ounce
5 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup butter melted
1/3 cup cornmeal
Oil for greasing pans
Instructions
Warm the milk to about 110°F (slightly warm to the touch, not hot). Stir in the honey and instant yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the frothy yeast mixture, the egg, and melted butter to the bowl. Stir everything together until the dough starts to form. Use a stand mixer with a dough hook or your hands to knead the dough for about 5 minutes. If you’re kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it until smooth and elastic.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place the dough in it. Turn the dough once so that the top is lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and place it in a warm spot. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently in the center. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten it into a 4-inch disc. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle half of the cornmeal on the paper. Place the dough discs on the sheet with at least 2 inches of space between them. Sprinkle the remaining cornmeal on top of the discs. Cover them and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Heat a large skillet or electric griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with oil or non-stick spray. Place the muffins in the skillet or on the griddle, cooking each side for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Use a fork to split each muffin in half. Toast the halves and serve with butter and jam. Enjoy!
