ducks at sunset and super yummy english muffins

I am currently dog sitting and house sitting The above photos where taken on our afternoon walk yesterday. This cove is where I stand-up paddle surf from in warmer weather. These photos make me yearn for paddle surfing days... I can not wait until the end of May!
I made English muffins for the first time and they came out beautifully! They are super easy. Just time consuming, in the sense that there is a lot of rising time (two long rounds), plus refrigeration. Do not let this deter you. Make them, you will not be disappointed! In fact I suggest doubling the recipe. I used Martha's recipe from her Baking Handbook. I could not find the recipe on her web site, but did find it randomly when I googled it (see below.) Next time I am going to try it with 50% whole wheat flour. If I get good results. I will increase to 100%. I made a minor adjustments, I swapped out the dry milk, for whole milk.

Placing the dough in English muffin rings will allow the muffins to rise higher, but you can still make them without the rings. Simply let the rounds rise on their own, then fry and bake as directed. They will taste just as delicious.

English Muffins

Makes 8 muffins

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

* 1 tsp instant yeast

* 1 cup warm water

* 1 tbsp honey

* 2 tbsp nonfat dry milk

* 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for skillet

* 1 1/4 tsp coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling (optional)

* Vegetable oil, for bowl, plastic wrap, parchment, and rings

* Semolina flour, for pan

* Anise OR sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

In medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp yeast, the warm water, and the honey; whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and slightly foamy, about 1 minute.

In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, the remaining 1/2 tsp yeast, and the dry milk. Sprinkle over the wet flour mixture, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium-low speed until all dry ingredients have been incorporated into the dough, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and salt, and continue to mix on medium speed until combined (the dough should be smooth but slightly tacky), about 5 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add a little room-temperature water, 1 tsp at a time; if the dough is too wet, add more flour, 1 tsp at a time.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover bowl with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

With lightly oiled hands, gently knead dough in the bowl, covering all sides with oil. Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a flattened rectangle; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Line a baking sheet with parchment, brush with oil, and lightly dust with semolina flour. Lightly oil eight English muffin rings, and place on prepared sheet. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Using a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out eight rounds; place each round in one of the oiled rings. (Dough can be rerolled in order to cut all eight muffins.) Set aside in a warm place until rounds have risen slightly, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sprinkle rounds with seeds or salt, as desired about 1 tsp per muffin. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt enough additional butter to coat the bottom of the pan. When the butter is bubbling, carefully transfer rounds to the skillet with a wide spatula, leaving muffin rings in place. Do not crowd the pan; rounds should fit comfortably without touching. Cook muffins until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip them over, and cook until golden, about 4 minutes more. Return muffins to the baking sheet, and remove muffin rings. Bake until muffins are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (They should reach an internal temperature of 190 F. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Muffins can be eaten warm or allowed to cool and then split with a fork and toasted. They can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. via The Spec.

I am left day dreaming about making a multi grain English muffins and the perfect spring brunch. Which I am thinking would include: Eggs Benedict, with asparagus, and smoked tempeh, and mimosas.