Ingredients
Here’s everything you need for 6 to 8 English muffins:
- 1 cup (225 g) cottage cheese
- 2 cups (240 g) self-rising flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
You’ll also want a little extra flour for dusting your hands and work surface, and a bit of oil or butter for greasing the skillet.
A Closer Look at Each Ingredient
Cottage cheese. This is the star of the recipe. It adds moisture, a gentle tang, and a good dose of protein. Because cottage cheese varies by brand, texture matters here. Thick, creamy cottage cheese gives the most manageable dough. If yours is watery, drain off the excess liquid before you start. Small-curd and large-curd both work. If you prefer a more uniform crumb with no visible curds, blend the cottage cheese until creamy first.
Self-rising flour. Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour that already contains baking powder and salt. That’s what lets these muffins puff up without yeast. Measure it carefully, since too much flour is the fastest way to end up with dense muffins.
Egg. The egg binds the dough and adds richness and structure, helping the muffins hold together while they cook through in the center.
Olive oil or melted butter. Either works. Olive oil gives a lightly fruity, savory character, while melted butter adds a buttery flavor that suits sweet toppings and classic breakfast sandwiches.
Instructions
Place the cottage cheese in a mixing bowl. If you want a smoother dough and a more even crumb, blend it briefly until creamy first. Add the egg and the olive oil or melted butter, then whisk until the mixture is well combined and looks mostly smooth.
Tip: If your cottage cheese looks very wet, drain it before measuring. Extra liquid makes the dough sticky and tempts you to add too much flour later.
Add the self-rising flour to the cottage cheese mixture. Stir with a spoon or spatula until a soft dough begins to form.
The dough should be slightly tacky but manageable. If it’s extremely sticky, lightly flour your hands and work surface rather than adding a lot of extra flour to the dough itself. Too much additional flour can make the muffins dense.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for about 30 to 60 seconds, just until it comes together smoothly. This isn’t a bread dough that needs developing, so resist the urge to knead longer.
Pat the dough into a circle about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick. Use a round biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass to cut out 6 to 8 muffins, depending on the size you like. Gather the scraps gently and reshape them into additional muffins without repeatedly kneading the dough.
Tip: Keep the muffins an even thickness so they cook at the same rate and don’t brown too much on the outside before the center sets.
Heat a nonstick skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-low heat. Lightly grease it with a little oil or butter. Let the pan warm evenly before adding the muffins.
Moderate heat is important. Because these muffins are fairly thick, the outsides can brown quickly while the centers are still doughy if the pan is too hot.
Place the muffins in the skillet, leaving space between them. Cover with a lid and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes on the first side, until the bottoms are golden.
Flip carefully and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, keeping the heat moderate. If your muffins are on the thick side, reduce the heat slightly and cook a little longer so the centers have time to set.
The muffins should be golden on both sides and cooked through in the middle. If you’re unsure, check the center of one muffin before removing the batch from the pan.
Transfer the cooked muffins to a wire rack and let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Cooling lets the interior finish setting and makes splitting much easier.
Once they’ve cooled slightly, split them horizontally with a fork for a traditional English muffin texture (those craggy surfaces are what catch melted butter), or use a serrated knife for neat, even halves.
Toast the halves in a toaster or dry skillet until the edges are crisp and lightly golden. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.