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Model Bakery English Muffins

We never thought an English muffin could have superpowers, but the one from The Model Bakery in Napa does. But then again, if it’s on Oprah’s favorite things list (like her favorite rosé), you know it’s good. If you’re not able to order these from Napa, here’s a recipe that will have you enjoying the Model Bakery English Muffins at home.

There’s nothing better, or more indulgent than starting your day off with a fluffy muffin topped with jam and butter. Model Bakery English Muffins are some of the most famous around. The airy, focaccia-style dough is a pillow for any filling, and the griddle-fried shell is just crusty and chewy enough. The muffins can also withstand the weight of sandwich fillings and spreads alike.

Rows of Model Bakery English Muffins on a baking tray.

The mother-daughter-owned bakery in St Helena, which has been around since the 1920s, is a local gem. Their Model Bakery English Muffins often sell out before 11 AM. Oprah labeled these her go-to carb in 2016, and since then, people have been going crazy for them. If they’re not buying them directly from the bakery, they’re ordering them for $40 per dozen on the bakery’s website.

Piles of muffins in bowls and on trays.

But you don’t have to live in Napa or dish out big bucks to get in on everything that Oprah is raving about. In fact, Model’s cookbook is full of secrets that will give you a taste of its sumptuous desserts and breads right from your kitchen. Plus, everything tastes better when you’ve worked hard to bake it, just ask Karen Mitchell. The Model Bakery English Muffins are a little bit finicky, so you need to ensure you’re using a glutinous flour and you knead for long enough. But with a little patience, you can have the best muffins in the world every day.

Entrance to The Model Bakery with seating outside.

The Model Bakery English Muffins

Author: Rick Rodgers
Makes 12 English Muffins

Ingredients

Biga:

  • ½ cup/75 g bread flour
  • ¼ cup/60 ml water
  • ¼ tsp instant (also called quick-rising or bread machine) yeast

Dough:

  • 1⅓ cups/315 ml water
  • ¾ tsp instant (also called quick-rising or bread machine) yeast
  • 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 3½ cups/510 g unbleached all-purpose flour, as needed

Additional Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup/35g yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
  • 6 Tbsp/90 ml melted clarified butter, as needed

Kitchen mixer next to a sheet of muffins.

Instructions

 

  1. To Make the Biga: At least 1 day before cooking the muffins, combine the flour, water, and yeast in a small bowl to make a sticky dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. The biga will rise slightly.
  2. To Make the Dough: Combine the biga, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Affix the bowl to the mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture looks creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in 3 cups/435 g of the flour to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn off the mixer, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand for 20 minutes. (To make by hand, combine the water, biga, yeast, oil, and salt in a large bowl and break up the biga with a wooden spoon. Stir until the biga dissolves. Mix in enough flour to make a cohesive but tacky dough. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.)
  3. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely cleans the mixer bowl. Replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed (if the dough climbs up the hook, just pull it down) until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface to check its texture. It should feel tacky but not stick to the work surface. (To make by hand, knead on a floured work surface, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and feels tacky, about 10 minutes.)
  4. Shape the dough into a ball. Oil a medium bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil, leaving the dough smooth-side up. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 2 hours. (The dough can also be refrigerated for 8 to 12 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding to the next step.)
  5. Using a bowl scraper, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut into twelve equal pieces. Shape each into a 4-in/10-cm round. Sprinkle an even layer of cornmeal over a half-sheet pan. Place the rounds on the cornmeal about 1 in/2.5 cm apart. Turn the rounds to coat both sides with cornmeal. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until the rounds have increased in volume by half and a finger pressed into a round leaves an impression for a few seconds before filling up, about 1 hour.
  6. Melt 2 Tbsp of the clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until melted and hot, but not smoking. In batches, add the dough rounds to the skillet. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed so the muffins brown without scorching, adding more clarified butter as needed. The undersides should be nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook until the other sides are browned and the muffins are puffed, about 6 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined half-sheet pan and let cool. (It will be tempting to eat these hot off the griddle, but let them stand for at least 20 minutes to complete the cooking with carry-over heat.) Repeat with the remaining muffins, wiping the cornmeal out of the skillet with paper towels and adding more clarified butter as needed.
  7. Split each muffin in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Toast in a broiler or toaster oven (they may be too thick for a standard toaster) until lightly browned. Serve hot. (The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

It’s no secret that these English muffins are the best out there. If you’re nowhere near the Napa Valley, now you can indulge in these muffins from the comfort of your own home with this incredible recipe. It’s no wonder the Model Bakery English Muffins are on Oprah’s favorites list.

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