Ingredients
You only need four ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) cottage cheese: full-fat or low-fat both work
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups (180 g) self-rising flour
- ½ tsp salt
You’ll also want a little butter or oil for greasing the skillet, plus extra flour for dusting your hands and work surface.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Cottage cheese. Small-curd and large-curd both work, especially if you blend them. Full-fat cottage cheese gives a richer, more tender muffin, while low-fat gives a lighter result with slightly less richness. If your cottage cheese looks watery, drain off the extra liquid first, because too much moisture can make the dough overly sticky.
Eggs. Large eggs provide structure, richness, and extra protein. Bring them to room temperature if you can, as they blend more smoothly into the cottage cheese.
Self-rising flour. This is flour that already contains baking powder and salt, which is what lets the muffins puff slightly without yeast. If you don’t have it, you can make a substitute. For each 1 cup of all-purpose flour, whisk in 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Since this recipe calls for 1½ cups of flour, scale that up accordingly, and reduce the added salt a little since you’re also adding ½ teaspoon separately.
Salt. A small amount of salt brings out the flavor of the cottage cheese and keeps the muffins from tasting flat.
Instructions
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10–14 minutes per batch
Total Time: About 30–40 minutes
Yield: Approximately 6 English muffins
Add the cottage cheese and eggs to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, which usually takes under a minute. Scrape down the sides once to make sure everything is combined.
If you’d rather keep a little texture, you can whisk the cottage cheese and eggs together thoroughly in a bowl instead. The muffins will have tiny curds throughout, which some people enjoy.
Pour the cottage cheese mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the self-rising flour and salt. Stir gently with a spatula until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains.
Resist the urge to keep mixing. Overworking the dough can make the finished muffins tougher. The dough should look soft and cohesive, not smooth like bread dough.
Lightly flour your work surface and your hands. Turn the dough out and gently pat it into a flat round about ½ to ¾ inch (1.5–2 cm) thick.
Use a round biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut out about 6 muffins. Gather the scraps, gently reshape them, and cut a few more. Dip your cutter in flour between cuts so it doesn’t stick.
Heat a large nonstick or lightly greased skillet over medium-low heat. Add a small amount of butter or oil if needed to prevent sticking. A skillet with a tight-fitting lid is ideal, since covering the pan traps steam and helps the centers cook through.
Place the muffins in the warm skillet, leaving a little space between each one so they can puff slightly. Cover with the lid and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on the first side.
Carefully flip the muffins and continue cooking, covered, for another 5 to 7 minutes. They should be lightly golden on both sides and cooked through in the center.
If the outsides are browning too quickly, lower the heat and keep cooking until the middle is fully set. Patience here pays off. A muffin that’s golden outside but doughy inside is almost always a sign the heat was too high.
To check for doneness, press gently on the side of a muffin. It should feel springy and firm, not squishy. You can also insert a toothpick into the center, which should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.
Transfer the cooked muffins to a wire rack and let them cool for several minutes. Once they’ve cooled slightly, split them open with a fork, which gives you the classic craggy English muffin texture. Toast the cut sides until golden and crisp.