Mary Gubser published a recipe for English muffins that are supposed
to be much like the Wolfermann's EM. Wolfermann's, in case you don't
know, is an upscale purveyor of food in Kansas City. I remember
driving by in the late 1950s but we were too poor to go in.
Gubser's book, American Bread Book, 1985 is out of print although one
with a similar sounding title appears to be available in
paperback. It is a charming book. Her literary device is that the
recipes were collected on several extensive trips around the USA -
including Alaska if memory serves. There are lots of recipes of
breads of various ethnicity, Moravian Feast buns, and Bohemian
Kolaches, for example. Anyway, the EM recipe which I copied from
notes I made a couple of years ago is:
2 pkg yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
7 - 8 cups bread flour, approximately
1 tsp baking soda in 2 Tbsp. water
3 egg whites at room temperature
white cornmeal
Proof yeast in water in large bowl. Add salt and 3 c flour and beat
until smooth. Blend in dissolved baking soda. Beat egg whites until
softly stiff and fold into batter. Gradually add sufficient flour to
make a soft, workable dough that pulls away from the sides of the
bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and knead for about 5
minutes. Let rise until doubled.
Punch down, knead lightly, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Roll dough out 3/8" thick (between 1/4 and 1/2") Cut out muffins with
a 3" cookie cutter. Sprinkle s sheet of waxed paper [parchment paper
might be better?] with the cornmeal. Place muffins on it and
sprinkle more corn meal. Cover and let rise 45 min.
Bake on an ungreased griddle over moderate heat, about 8 min. for
each side. Cool on wire racks.
Amazon.com lists several used copies of the book.
Ken McMurtrey, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, still reeling from Katrina