[Sca-cooks] American vs. English muffins

[Terry Decker]

The American muffin is a batter bread baked in a muffin pan (cupcake or
popover pan) with individual cups for the batter.  The leavening is commonly
baking soda or baking powder.  The muffin is supposed to billow out above
the cup in the pan forming a mushroom shaped roll.  There are some yeast
breads baked in a similar shape where the dough is allowed to rise in the
muffin pan, but they are usually referred to as dinner rolls rather than
muffins.

English muffins and crumpets are flat, yeast leavened batter cakes  cooked
on a griddle.  The batter is poured into a small cake ring and forms a bun
about 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.  They are commonly split,
toasted and served with butter and jam, which fill the holes in the crumb
left by the leavening.

American muffins are closer to cakes while English muffins are closer to
breads.

Bear


>I think I know what is meant by an American muffin, but what is an
>English muffin and how do they differ? Is the English muffin not as
>crumbly? I assume either can be sweet or not. They are both about
>two to three inches in diameter, right?
>
>In the American version you cook them in metal pans with (usually)
>six to eight cup-like indentations. Sometimes you put paper or foil
>linings in these. Are English muffins done the same way? If so, how
>far back do these multiple pocket pans go? Maybe the old method
>was to use individual glass/ceramic cups instead? In which case the
>multiple pocketed pans may not be very old.
>
>--
>THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra