English Muffins with Brown Crab and Miso Butter

Serves 10
2 HR 10 MINS

This delicious fluffy risen bread is a really useful addition to any cook's repertoire. I love it with the crab butter, flavoured with miso and blended with crème fraiche for a light and creamy texture. Serve with watercress or a peppery rocket salad.

Breakfast
Lunch
Marcus' Kitchen

Ingredients

Serves 10

For the muffins

  • 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 165ml tepid water
  • 165ml lukewarm milk
  • 15g fresh yeast or 7.5g dried active yeast (not instant, fast-action or easy bake)
  • 20g soft unsalted butter
  • 100g semolina flour

For the brown crab and miso butter

  • 150g soft unsalted butter
  • 75g pasteurised brown crab meat
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp crème fraiche
  • salt
  • 1/2 lemon

Method

For the muffins

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowel using a spoon or whisk, or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, until well combined.

In a jug, mix together the lukewarm water and milk, then crumble in the fresh yeast or add the dried yeast.

Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid. Add the butter, then mix on slow until a dough has formed and comes away clean from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, or knead at medium speed in the stand mixer until smooth.

Transfer the dough to a clean mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto the work surface that has been dusted with flour or semolina. Dust the top of the dough with flour, then flatted and pat down using the palms of your hands (or roll) to a thickness of 2cm. Use a 7cm cutter to make 10 muffin rounds. Place the rounds on a semolina-dusted baking tray, making sure they are evenly spaced. Cover loosely with clingfilm and leave to prove for 20-30 minutes.

Just before the muffins have finished proving, heat a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook the muffins in batches: gently place them directly into the hot pan and cook for 5 minutes until a lightly golden crust forms, then gently flip and cook for a further 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly while you cook the remaining muffins.

For the brown crab and miso butter

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until well softened, then add the brown crab, miso and crème fraiche and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt to taste.

Cut the muffins in half and lightly toast, then serve with a generous spreading of the whipped butter.

For more recipes like this, check out Marcus' Kitchen by Marcus Wareing.