A muffin (US: English muffin), also known as a hot muffin, or a breakfast muffin, is a round, yeast-leavened form of bread almost always dusted with cornmeal. It is of English origin. Muffins may be eaten at breakfast in England,North America and Australia, but may also be served as an afternoon meal or snack.
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History
An old English nursery rhyme, The Muffin Man, describes a door-to-door purveyor of muffins. The rhyme was known at the time of Jane Austen in the early 19th Century and a muffin man is mentioned at one point in her novel, Persuasion. The muffins sold at this period were made of yeasted dough and baked on a hot griddle.
Muffins may well originate as far back as the 10th century, yet the muffin became a fashionable bread during the 18th century. By the beginning of the 19th century there were dozens of muffin factories in existence and the 'muffin man' was a common sight.
Muffins are a very quick baking bread and have become a tea table staple. They are usually split, toasted, buttered and then used with a savoury or sweet filling such as honey.
US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Muffins are commonly available for retail in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. They are also found on the breakfast menus of American fast food restaurants worldwide. They are most often toasted then topped with butter and/or jam. They are also used in breakfast sandwiches with meat (bacon, ham, or sausage), egg (fried, scrambled, poached or steam-poached) and / or cheese. They are the base ingredient in the traditional New York brunch dish, Eggs Benedict. The most popular brand in the US is sold by Thomas'.
United Kingdom
Muffins are occasionally served as a breakfast or tea time meal. A variant of the muffin is used by McDonald's, named the McMuffin. Many UK supermarkets also sell variations on the standard bread muffin, notable cheese, wholemeal and even cinnamon and raisin.
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: English muffins |
Further reading
- English Bread and Yeast Cookery by Elizabeth David, Penguin Books, 1979, contains a definitive discussion on the origins and use of the English muffin.
External links
- How to make English Muffins
- Discussion of English muffin versus crumpet
- Imaginatorium — Source of main picture, discussion of different types of muffins
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