Why This Recipe Works

For holey English muffins with pleasingly irregular toasted surfaces, we started by mixing bread flour with plenty of water along with the usual yeast and salt and a bit of honey, which browns more readily than granulated sugar. Two rounds of gentle stretching and folding allowed gas pockets to develop and grow within the wet dough and built strength so that the dough, when portioned, would hold its shape.

Dusting the counter with plenty of semolina and handling the dough from the bottom made it easier to enclose the wet disks of dough within a smooth, taut surface. Placing each portion on its own parchment square made it easier to transfer the delicate dough to the griddle (to brown the exteriors prior to baking) without deflating it. Refrigerating the portioned dough allowed the yeast to leaven at a slow and steady pace, providing time for a more complex-tasting combination of flavor compounds to develop. Keeping the cooking and baking times short helped the high-hydration dough hold on to more moisture through the cooking and baking process.

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Before You Begin

This recipe includes an 8- to 16-hour refrigerated rest. Because the skillet is heated without any fat, use stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron here (do not use nonstick). An electric griddle set to 400 degrees can be used in place of a skillet. These muffins can be split and toasted an hour after baking, but they’re easier to split (and just as delicious) if you wait a day. The broiler works well for toasting several muffins at once.

Instructions

Combine 2½ cups (13 ¾ ounces) bread flour, 1½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast, and 1¼ teaspoons table salt in large bowl. Whisk 1⅓ cups room-temperature water and 1½ tablespoons honey together in medium bowl. Add water mixture to flour mixture and stir until no pockets of dry flour remain. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

With moistened hand, lift 1 edge of dough and stretch upward until dough resists; fold over to opposite side of bowl. Turn bowl 45 degrees and repeat stretching and folding. Continue to stretch and fold dough and turn bowl until dough is unable to stretch more than 2 inches, about 12 turns. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Repeat stretching, folding, and turning 1 more time. Invert dough so seam side is down. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Arrange ten 4-inch squares of parchment paper on rimmed baking sheet. Spray squares with vegetable oil spray and dust with semolina flour. Spread remaining semolina in 10-inch circle on counter. Transfer dough seam side up onto semolina (dough will be sticky), taking care to retain as much gas as possible.

Slide fingers under dough and gently pull into even round (avoid touching top of dough). With oiled dough scraper or knife, divide dough lengthwise into 4 strips of equal width. Divide each shorter end piece crosswise into 2 portions. Divide each longer middle row crosswise into 3 portions (it’s fine if portions are not exactly the same size).

Grasp 1 piece of dough on dry underside, gently stretch out corners and fold toward middle, pressing gently to adhere. Place fingers under side of dough farthest from you and thumbs under side of dough closest to you; bring sides up and pinch together, tucking as much of sticky top as possible inside; continue to pinch along length of piece, retaining as much gas as possible. Turn piece 180 degrees so that seam runs vertically; pinch far side and near side together. Continue to pinch to form rough round. Place seam side down on 1 parchment square. Repeat with remaining portions. Pop any large bubbles. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours.

Let muffins sit, covered, at room temperature until puffy and very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. About 40 minutes into rising time, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat.

Increase heat to medium. Using parchment to lift 1 muffin, gently invert onto skillet and discard parchment. Repeat with 2 more muffins, placing them as far apart as possible. Cook without moving until spotty brown on underside, 45 to 60 seconds, adjusting heat if necessary. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip muffins and continue to cook until spotty brown on second side, 45 to 60 seconds. Return to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining muffins.

Bake until tops of muffins are golden brown and largest muffin registers at least 205 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes. Invert muffins onto wire rack and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Using fork, split muffins. Toast and serve.