Gluten Free/Vegan Whole Grain English Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
• 1/4 cup Teff Flour
• 1/2 cup Arrowroot Flour
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
• 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (Or use Guar Gum if you cannot tolerate Corn)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Ground Chia Seeds (Try Running Chia Seeds through a Coffee Grinder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Almond Meal
• 3 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg Replacer (dry)
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• 1 1/3 cups Warm Non-Dairy Milk ( I used unsweetened Almond Milk)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Yeast (fast acting)
• 1 teaspoon Vinegar ( Prefer Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon Oil (I used Walnut Oil)

Directions

I always figured that making English Muffins would be tough- that Id need some fancy technique to get those little air bubbles that you find when you cut one open. Fortunately I was totally wrong. They are easy. really easy. WAY easier than making a loaf of bread.

The recipe that I took my inspiration came from the Incredible Bette Hagman. Her bread book taught me many of the basic formulas and the fundamentals of making gluten free flours work..  I took her recipe- and changed out the flours- made the recipe egg free- and added a few other minor touches of my own. I was pretty excited when I pulled these out of the oven-  I will be purchasing another set of English Muffin Rings- because I really would love to double this recipe and freeze them for any given day. Who doesn’t love having English Muffins in the house? I have purchased some different Gluten Free Varieties from Wegmans all which were good- but they tend to come with a high price tag. If you are already keeping your pantry stocked with Gluten Free Flours- why not try making your own? You’ll save a few bucks- and have a really impressed family!

1. Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees.
2. Heat Milk in your microwave (or sauce pan- until warm. Not much warmer than room temperature) I usually heat in my microwave for roughly 45 seconds. (but all microwaves are different) Stir in the Honey and Yeast. Set aside and allow the yeast to slowly foam and  bubble up for 10 minutes or so. If the yeast does not do this- it is either old and dead. Or the Milk Temperature was too hot. If this is the case- start over with fresh yeast, milk and honey.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) Combine the Flours: Sorghum, Teff, Arrowroot and Tapioca. Add the Xanthan Gum, Ground Chia Seeds, Baking Powder, Salt, Almond Meal and Dry Egg Replacer. Mix well.
4. Add to the flour mixture the foaming yeast/milk mixture. Add the Vinegar and Oil. Using a hand mixer or your Stand Mixer beat the dough together. It will have the consistency of a thick cake batter. (Gluten free bread dough is very different- do not feel worried- it will bake into perfection!
5. On a Cookie sheet place 6 English Muffin Rings- Spray each with non- stick spray. Divide the dough into the 6 cups. Spray the top of the dough with additional non-stick spray so that it is easier to shape. Using a spoon smooth the dough out in each muffin ring.
6. Place the Cookie Sheet on TOP of the hot stove. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise for 30-45 minutes. The dough will not rise quite as much as you might expect (gluten free bread rises less) but it will bubble up a noticeable amount.
7. Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes before removing the muffins from their molds. Allow another 25-30 minutes before cutting into the English Muffins- this cooling down process allows the English Muffin to continue cooking all the way through. If you cut into the muffin early- it might have a slightly goo-ey texture.

If you opt to double this recipe- you do not need to double the yeast amount- it can remain as 2 1/2 Teaspoon. If you use a Stand Mixer- Do not use the Dough Hook- the paddle attachment will be more effective! Some question how essential the English Muffin Rings are- with this recipe they are. Without them the dough will not rise up- it will spread horizontally instead. Most Gluten Free Dough’s are quite moist in comparison to gluten containing recipes and need some sort of structure to keep the in the correct shape!

Happy Baking- I am happy to answer any questions.