When you want to take a rift from bread but a bagel seems too radical a divergence , there ’s always the English muffin — a relatively faint carb option that spectacular baker Thomas ’ often portrays as having “ nooks and cranny ” for taste and grain .
But is the English muffin actually English ? Not really , though that answer really depends on how you feel about x - pats .
accord toKitchn , the English muffin was the study of Samuel Bath Thomas , a Brit who immigrate to New York City from Plymouth in 1874 . As a baker , he whipped up what he dubbed a toaster crumpet , which before long became the toast ( apologies ) of the city ’s breakfast view .
A wassailer crumpet is a variation on a standard crumpet , which expend baking sodium carbonate to help aerate the flour and create holes on the outside . Thomas modified it by bump off the baking sal soda so the fix were inside . Using caboodle of water and griddle - baking on high heat , the water cursorily evaporates andleavesair pockets . Once divide , the gem can “ snaffle ” on to spread like peanut butter or jelly . fundamentally , Thomas create an 1800s interpretation of a cronut — a raw spin on a popular staple .
And yes , Thomas ’ English muffinsreferto Samuel Bath Thomas , who wound upbuildinga muffin empire . need for his muffins produce to the point where he was make deliveries with a buck beach wagon and later opened multiple bakeshop to wield the requirement . When he die in 1919 , his daughters take up over the family business , incorporating it in 1922 . It was later sell to CPC International in 1970 .
Much like the formula toCoca - ColaandKentucky Fried Chicken , the chemical formula for the muffin are a closely kept unavowed within the company . Just seven people within Bimbo Bakeries , the current parent company of Thomas ’ , know each and every stride , from the right amount of wet to the baking equipment used . When one high - storey Bimbo executive director defect to Hostess in 2010 , Bimbo sue to stop his hiring , fearing he might reveal primal gem intelligence .
While the recipe is worth guarding , is it “ English ” ? The English gem is gain from British wassailer crumpets , though their innovator was living in New York City and distributing them stateside . It ’s food for thought while you ’re grabbing another gem .
[ h / tKitchn ]
