English Muffins

RE: English Muffins (Porcelina)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:50:17 GMT

lol, if it's wrong to hate those damned nooks and crannies, I don't want to be right!

RE: English Muffins (justtable)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:44:46 GMT

I have to agree, like most things, Thomas's are getting smaller and smaller. now adays a teaspoon of jam covers both halves...

RE: English Muffins (Foodbme)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:21:53 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Porcelina

Is it wrong to hate english muffins?

YES!!

RE: English Muffins (Porcelina)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:04:56 GMT

Is it wrong to hate english muffins?

RE: English Muffins (roossy90)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:36:09 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

CALLING MIAMIDON!!!

I found a new reasonable place online...
Sardinias in Massachusetts....... google them for bolos levados or port. muffins. you should find them.
7 packs of 4 for $31.50.. thats a really good online price..

Here is their link..

https://sardinhas.com/catalog/index.php

Thanks Roosy! What I need now is a bigger freezer for all of the great stuff one can get by mail, but which needs to be ordered in bulk.

I just thought of something.. shipping to Miami might be more, since I am closer to Mass than you..
I am in Bolos heaven right now!~

RE: English Muffins (MiamiDon)

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:17:33 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

CALLING MIAMIDON!!!

I found a new reasonable place online...
Sardinias in Massachusetts....... google them for bolos levados or port. muffins. you should find them.
7 packs of 4 for $31.50.. thats a really good online price..

Here is their link..

https://sardinhas.com/catalog/index.php

Thanks Roosy! What I need now is a bigger freezer for all of the great stuff one can get by mail, but which needs to be ordered in bulk.

RE: English Muffins (Baah Ben)

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:55:07 GMT

Oh Pancho..I totally agree wtih you! Bay's are wondeful..A real sleeper. Cobblestone's are pretty good, too. I like mine just bordering on being burnt. Then, I let them get slightly cool so they become really hard and crusty. Them I load them up with butter...I really love those Bay's...Much more intense taste than Thomas' IMHO. I really do not like Thomas' that much anymore.

My neighbor gave us a English Muffin bread...her specialty. Boy, that was good. It was a rectangular flat loaf maybe 4" high and you slice it..It looks raw just like an English muffin. You slice it and toast it. It tastes just like a English muffin!

RE: English Muffins (ces1948)

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:38:08 GMT

Really like the Bay brand

RE: English Muffins (David_NYC)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:44:04 GMT

Yes, Thomas is owned by Canadian firm George Weston.

For those in the Northeast, Weston also owns Strohmann's, Entenmann's, Maier, Thomas, Freihofer, legacy Taystee, Arnold's, legacy Levy's Rye bread, Boboli, Brownberry.

Edited to include other Weston Brands.

RE: English Muffins (Foodbme)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:19:00 GMT

I understand that Thomas' was bought out by one of the Huge foods companies not too long ago. I think that's when the product started the slippery down hill slide. I'll need to check the package next time in the store for the company name.

RE: English Muffins (leethebard)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:22:04 GMT

Nice comments David,and I agree something is fishy...I think people who love Thomas are going on memory and tradition and NOT the quality (or lack of) the current product. Something IS wrong!!!!

RE: English Muffins (David_NYC)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:28:10 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by leethebard

Personally,I don't care whatThomas's puts on their wrapper....they're just not that good...they're also smaller than they were. They crumble now under even fairly soft butter or margarine...like so many other things,I doubt these nook & cranny muffins are using the same nooks and crannys they did years ago...Just NOT the same as 30-40 years ago!!!

I remember the Thomas muffins from the '60's when they were baked in Long Island City, Queens. I don't know when the other bakeries came on line. They have definitely changed the formula. There is also something else fishy going on. They sell a 12 pack that are pre-priced at either $4.69 or $4.99. The retailer must get their choice of which price they want on their muffins. But for months now in the NYC area they have been available at chain supermarkets at $1.99 for that 12 pack every second week or so. The super markets overlap, so you can usually find some market selling them for $1.99 any time. Frankly, I think they are using predatory pricing to drive out the supermarket private label bakers such as H&S/Northeast Foods, Homestead Baking, and Gold Medal Bakery. One week when Pathmark had the Thomas muffins on sale, there were no house brand muffins to be had. Besides the muffins being tiny, they are underbaked. I don't know if they do this to increase shelf life, or if because they are selling so many at that predatory price that they are operating at or above maximum plant capacity and can't fully bake the muffins.

RE: English Muffins (leethebard)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:45:55 GMT

Any particular reason....what other's have you tried???

RE: English Muffins (jimsock9)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:32:38 GMT

I just won't buy anything other than Thomas'!

RE: English Muffins (leethebard)

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:25:40 GMT

Personally,I don't care whatThomas's puts on their wrapper....they're just not that good...they're also smaller than they were. They crumble now under even fairly soft butter or margarine...like so many other things,I doubt these nook & cranny muffins are using the same nooks and crannys they did years ago...Just NOT the same as 30-40 years ago!!!

RE: English Muffins (Foodbme)

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:36:54 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by mikez629

quote:
Originally posted by Foodbme

Authentic English Muffins---- Stolen from www.cooksrecipes.com
This recipe yields exceptional homemade crusty, cornmeal-coated English muffins, ideally moist and rough-textured on the inside. More work is required than other recipes, but the outcome far outweighs the extra effort.

Starter:
2 cups warm water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
In a medium bowl, stir together water and yeast. Let stand a couple of minutes to dissolve yeast. Stir in all purpose flour and whole wheat to make a thick batter.
Cover with a cloth and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Sponge:
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115*F / 45*C )
2 cups starter - room temperature
3/4 cup scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
2 cups unbleached bread flour
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the 2 cups starter (reserve remaining starter for dough), and mix well; Stir in the milk and bread flour to make a thick batter. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
English Muffins:
Sponge mixture
Remaining starter
4 cups (approximately) unbleached bread flour
4 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Stir down the sponge mixture and add the remaining starter, flour, honey, salt, buttermilk powder and cornmeal. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Dough will be soft. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Lightly deflate the dough. On a work surface sprinkled with cornmeal, roll or pat dough out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 3 1/2-inch rounds using a cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet that's been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal, cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Heat a cast iron frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Sprinkle cooking surface with cornmeal. Cook a few muffins at a time (do not crowd the pan) until bottoms are browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, adjust heat if muffins are browning too quickly. Transfer cooked muffins to a wire rack and cool completely.
To serve, split muffins with the tines of a fork and serve with desired toppings. Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days or freeze and use as needed.
Makes 14 to 16 English Muffins.
Note: For muffins with more "nooks and crannys", the dough must almost be of a batter-like consistency. Muffin rings can be purchased in kitchen specialty stores, or you can "create your own" by removing the tops and bottoms of large tuna cans or similar type cans. The rings support the loose batter and allow the muffins to retain their shape as they rise and bake.

Too much work-buy Thomas's

As the Recipe says, "AUTHENTIC English Muffins. There are Hamburgers and then there's McDonalds. Same difference.

RE: English Muffins (mikez629)

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:32:33 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Foodbme

Authentic English Muffins---- Stolen from www.cooksrecipes.com
This recipe yields exceptional homemade crusty, cornmeal-coated English muffins, ideally moist and rough-textured on the inside. More work is required than other recipes, but the outcome far outweighs the extra effort.

Starter:
2 cups warm water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
In a medium bowl, stir together water and yeast. Let stand a couple of minutes to dissolve yeast. Stir in all purpose flour and whole wheat to make a thick batter.
Cover with a cloth and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Sponge:
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115*F / 45*C )
2 cups starter - room temperature
3/4 cup scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
2 cups unbleached bread flour
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the 2 cups starter (reserve remaining starter for dough), and mix well; Stir in the milk and bread flour to make a thick batter. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
English Muffins:
Sponge mixture
Remaining starter
4 cups (approximately) unbleached bread flour
4 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Stir down the sponge mixture and add the remaining starter, flour, honey, salt, buttermilk powder and cornmeal. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Dough will be soft. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Lightly deflate the dough. On a work surface sprinkled with cornmeal, roll or pat dough out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 3 1/2-inch rounds using a cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet that's been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal, cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Heat a cast iron frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Sprinkle cooking surface with cornmeal. Cook a few muffins at a time (do not crowd the pan) until bottoms are browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, adjust heat if muffins are browning too quickly. Transfer cooked muffins to a wire rack and cool completely.
To serve, split muffins with the tines of a fork and serve with desired toppings. Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days or freeze and use as needed.
Makes 14 to 16 English Muffins.
Note: For muffins with more "nooks and crannys", the dough must almost be of a batter-like consistency. Muffin rings can be purchased in kitchen specialty stores, or you can "create your own" by removing the tops and bottoms of large tuna cans or similar type cans. The rings support the loose batter and allow the muffins to retain their shape as they rise and bake.

Too much work-buy Thomas's

RE: English Muffins (UncleVic)

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:20:39 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

CALLING MIAMIDON!!!

I found a new reasonable place online...
Sardinias in Massachusetts....... google them for bolos levados or port. muffins. you should find them.
7 packs of 4 for $31.50.. thats a really good online price..

Here is their link..

https://sardinhas.com/catalog/index.php

MiamiDon, Rossy sent me a text wanting to inform you that they come in packs of 6, not 4. She sends her apologies.

RE: English Muffins (porkbeaks)

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:47:06 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I had my first English muffin at Yankee Doodle in New haven in 1950. It was a Thomas'. I've tried others over the years, including Wolferman's and Bay. I'll stick with Thomas'.

I'm with you, Michael. I had tried Wolferman's a while back and just recently sampled Bay's for the first time and I don't think either are near as good as Thomas'. jmho, pb

RE: English Muffins (roossy90)

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:17:23 GMT

CALLING MIAMIDON!!!

I found a new reasonable place online...
Sardinias in Massachusetts....... google them for bolos levados or port. muffins. you should find them.
7 packs of 4 for $31.50.. thats a really good online price..

Here is their link..

https://sardinhas.com/catalog/index.php

RE: English Muffins (roossy90)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:32:07 GMT

I got an email today saying that my friend would be at the store tomorrow to get them..Thats when the fresh ones come in.
He had better get me a bunch of them...

I told you they were good....

RE: English Muffins (MiamiDon)

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:12:22 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

quote:
Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

I got spoiled living in New England.
After trying the Bolos Levados "Portuguese Muffins", it is hard to eat a regular english muffin.
As a matter of fact, I have my contacts up there still, and they send me "care packages" several times a year.
It is expensive to get them thru Amazon or the factory in Fall River.
I think its like 30 bucks for 2 six packs....
They freeze well, but half the time they dont last in the freezer. I cant help myself. I tell myself to ration them out, but, I just cannot. I have no self control.
I can get 6 six packs for 20 bucks when my bud's send them to me.
Hopefully, I will have some after the new year.

Those look so good... I went and ordered a dozen through Amazon.

You will love them.....I am jonesing right now.. I wish my friend would ship them to me already!

You were right! They are very good. They differ from a common English muffin in that they have a finer crumb, are more like an egg bread, and are a little sweet, with a faint tang. They keep very well in the fridge. I highly recommend them; they are better than what I recall of the English muffins I got from Wolferman's by mail.

RE: English Muffins (salindgren)

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 06:13:03 GMT

Well, my goodness, that is really nice of Foodbme to post that recipe, and I am happy for people who are ready to get that involved. But I just don't think that will happen in my sad case. My baking patience is confined to popovers (with maybe 4 ingredients), which are super easy, and really pretty darned good, and the occasional corn muffin, which also requires minimal effort. Hardest part on the muffins is deciding what cheese, chile pepper, or berry to toss in the mix.
But, on English muffins... Yes, I suppose we all grew up on the Thomas product, and I guess I recall them being better long ago as well. I freeze them too, but I don't think they hold up all that well, they seem to get very unfresh that way. I have tried some commercial products (from Smart&Final, in LA), but they have neither nooks nor crannies, and just are not right. What would be nice for me is the idea of a local bakery that I could walk to (I'm in Downtown LA), producing fresh English muffins every day, maybe 40% larger than the Thomas' unit. It's kind of embarrassing that when I make eggs Benedict for my girlfriend, the poached egg is way bigger than the Thomas' muffin! You can't even see the thing. I want a fresh, five inch diameter muffin, with the nooks and all, the corn meal on both sides, and the unsplit thing about twice as thick as the current Thomas' product. I'll just keep dreaming, I guess...
-Scott Lindgren scottlindgren@netzero.net

RE: English Muffins (roossy90)

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:13:38 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Foodbme

quote:
Originally posted by Jimeats

Anyone interested in a recipe that skips the starter and works well in a pinch check out the www.kingarthurflour.com website. They have one there that I've used when I didn't have an active starter ready for use, a very good substitute. They also sell the muffin rings fairly cheap, better than a tuna can. Chow Jim

They also have 3 recipes for the Portugese Muffins you guys have been raving about!

I just happen to have a bag of King Arthur Flour in my fridge.
I brought it with me from Maine when I moved almost 2 years ago!

RE: English Muffins (Foodbme)

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:13:57 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Jimeats

Anyone interested in a recipe that skips the starter and works well in a pinch check out the www.kingarthurflour.com website. They have one there that I've used when I didn't have an active starter ready for use, a very good substitute. They also sell the muffin rings fairly cheap, better than a tuna can. Chow Jim

They also have 3 recipes for the Portugese Muffins you guys have been raving about!

RE: English Muffins (Jimeats)

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:21:23 GMT

Anyone interested in a recipe that skips the starter and works well in a pinch check out the www.kingarthurflour.com website. They have one there that I've used when I didn't have an active starter ready for use, a very good substitute. They also sell the muffin rings fairly cheap, better than a tuna can. Chow Jim

RE: English Muffins (roossy90)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:54:30 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

I got spoiled living in New England.
After trying the Bolos Levados "Portuguese Muffins", it is hard to eat a regular english muffin.
As a matter of fact, I have my contacts up there still, and they send me "care packages" several times a year.
It is expensive to get them thru Amazon or the factory in Fall River.
I think its like 30 bucks for 2 six packs....
They freeze well, but half the time they dont last in the freezer. I cant help myself. I tell myself to ration them out, but, I just cannot. I have no self control.
I can get 6 six packs for 20 bucks when my bud's send them to me.
Hopefully, I will have some after the new year.

Those look so good... I went and ordered a dozen through Amazon.

You will love them.....I am jonesing right now.. I wish my friend would ship them to me already!

RE: English Muffins (leethebard)

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:27:14 GMT

Hi,
I too have given up on Thomas's...too little "nook" and too much "cranny". Translate...too airy..the muffin equivalent to Wonder Bread! Most store brands are better!
leethebard

RE: English Muffins (MiamiDon)

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:23:01 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by roossy90

I got spoiled living in New England.
After trying the Bolos Levados "Portuguese Muffins", it is hard to eat a regular english muffin.
As a matter of fact, I have my contacts up there still, and they send me "care packages" several times a year.
It is expensive to get them thru Amazon or the factory in Fall River.
I think its like 30 bucks for 2 six packs....
They freeze well, but half the time they dont last in the freezer. I cant help myself. I tell myself to ration them out, but, I just cannot. I have no self control.
I can get 6 six packs for 20 bucks when my bud's send them to me.
Hopefully, I will have some after the new year.

Those look so good... I went and ordered a dozen through Amazon.

RE: English Muffins (Jimeats)

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:52:32 GMT

I've made my own english muffins on occasion and it can be time consumming, but worth the effort.
The recipe above is fairly close but I have a guestion about the starter.
I have an active starter or two, maybe 3 going now and I know that this can't be achived overnight. My starters take at least a week to become what I would call active and ready to use. This time of year I always have one on the counter ready to use, must be fed daily. The others I keep in a jar in the refrigerator and feed weekly.
For a true english muffin flavor it should be almost like a sourdough.
Also good luck trying to find tuna cans that you can remove both ends today. I haven't checked but maybe a small can of pineapples {same size} may still be of use. The last time I found a can that you could remove both ends was with a can of imported squingili from Italy. And yes I did save the cans I also use them for egg sandwiches on my muffins, works great.
Chow Jim