Muffin (English)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Muffin (US: English muffin), also known as a Hot Muffin, or a Breakfast Muffin is a round, yeast-leavened form of bread almost always dusted with cornmeal. It may be eaten at breakfast in North America.

1 Name
2 Muffins in Britain
3 Methods of serving
4 References
5 External links
6 See also
7 References

[edit] Name

The word "muffin" appeared in Britain around the 11th century, derived from the Old French moufflet, which meant "soft" in reference to bread. Instructions for cooking a similar form of bread have existed since at least 1747, although credit for the phrase "English muffin" is often given to Samuel Bath Thomas, an English baker who emigrated to New York City and began producing his "muffins" around 1880. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, names the origin as 1902.

English Muffins are a more bread-like version of the "Crumpet". They are simply referred to as "muffins" in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Muffins are made with a soft, kneaded dough of flour, milk, yeast, sugar, and salt. This proofs (rises), is rolled out and formed into shape, and left to rise again. The muffins are typically cooked in an oven, but may be re-heated using a grill or toaster.

[edit] Muffins in Britain

Muffins can be eaten as part of a high tea, and with the decline of the more formalised ritual of afternoon tea, especially in high society, the muffin, like many indigenous english food items declined slightly in popularity towards the end of the 20th Century. However, they remained readily available in shops, just alongside many other similar items from other countries.

[edit] Methods of serving

English muffins are commonly available for retail in the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia. English muffins are also found on the breakfast menus of American fast food restaurants worldwide. They are most often used in breakfast sandwiches with meat (Canadian bacon, ham, or sausage), egg (fried, scrambled, or steam-poached) and cheese, e.g. McDonald's Egg McMuffin. They are the base ingredient in the traditional New York elevenses dish Eggs Benedict.