Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Dry

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3½ tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp cinnamon (my addition)

Wet

• 1¼ cups milk
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract (my addition)

Method

1. Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla. Mix just until smooth.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or pan over medium-high heat.
4. Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look dry, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve with: Butter and real maple syrup. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a pan in a 200°F oven while you finish the batch.

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant (quick-rise) yeast, or 1¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp oil or melted butter
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus up to ¼ cup more
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 to 3 Tbsp cornmeal for dusting

Method

1. Pour the warm water into a bowl, sprinkle the sugar and yeast over the top and let it sit about 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Add the oil, salt and flour and mix. Knead about 5 minutes, adding a little extra flour only if needed, until the dough is soft and just a bit tacky.
3. Cover in an oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Divide into 10 pieces, roll into balls and flatten to about ¾ inch thick on a parchment-lined pan dusted with cornmeal. Dust the tops too, cover loosely and let them rise 20 minutes.
5. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low and oil it lightly. Cook the muffins covered about 7 minutes a side, until golden. Do them in two batches if they don’t all fit.
6. If they brown before the middle is done, finish them in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. They’re done at 200°F inside.
7. Cool on a rack 10 to 15 minutes, then split them with a fork, not a knife, for the best nooks and crannies.

Storage: Keep cooled muffins in a sealed bag for a few days. To freeze, split them first and freeze up to 3 months. Toast straight from frozen.