Homemade Cranberry and Gingerbread English Muffins
Lightly spiced with bursts of fruity goodness these cranberry and gingerbread English muffins make a delightful breakfast, brunch or snack. They're soft, fluffy and made to be toasted and smothered in butter, to make use of all those nooks and crannies!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp (80g) gingerbread syrup*
- ⅔ cup (150 ml) hot water
- ½ tsp (3g) active dried yeast
- 1 ¾ cup (263g) strong/ high grade flour
- ¼ tsp (2g) salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (10g) gingerbread spice mix*
- 1 tbsp (15ml) melted butter
- ½ cup (60g) dried cranberries
- Cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
- Dissolve the gingerbread syrup in the hot water and allow the mixture to cool until warm.
- When warm stir in the yeast and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, salt and gingerbread spice and mix until well combined.
- Add in the yeast mixture, butter and cranberries, then knead with the dough hook attachment on low speed until the mixture comes together and a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. It should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and will still be soft and sticky.
- Using a dough scraper or spatula gently transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Generously dust a large lined baking tray with cornmeal and set aside.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface (with non-stick cooking spray) and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Working with a dough scraper and lightly oiled hands, take one piece of dough and form a ball, by bringing the edges of the dough into the middle and sealing.Then place on the prepared baking tray seam side down. Flatten balls slightly into a disk and dust an even layer of cornmeal over the top. Continue with the other pieces. Then cover and set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until risen and puffy.
- Heat a skillet or griddle to low heat. Then working in batches if necessary, cook muffins for 9 minutes on the first side, until the dough has puffed up and is dark golden brown. Then flip and cook for a further 5 minutes until toasted and dark golden brown. When you touch the sides, it should bounce back and feel light and airy, not heavy and doughy. *See notes
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack then use forks to gently split the English muffins open. Serve toasted with butter and your favourite spreads and toppings!
- If not eaten straight away, these muffins, once cooled, can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
*The Gingerbread Syrup recipe can be found here!
*Gingerbread spice mix can be found here!
*If you find your English muffins getting too dark and brown before the inside is cooked, you can transfer them to an oven to finish off cooking.
Bake at 160°C for 5 minutes or until cooked through and the sides bounce back when touched.