Apple Cinnamon English Muffins

Coming home from the apple orchard with a bag of apples is one of my favorite parts of fall. These apple cinnamon English muffins are a cozy way to use one of them. They're full of warm spice, little pieces of apple, and a ribbon of cinnamon sugar tucked into each muffin.

English muffins are cooked on a skillet, which gives them those golden, slightly crisp tops and bottoms. I finish these in the oven so the centers have time to cook through. Once they're cool enough to handle, split one with a fork, toast it, and add a generous swipe of butter. They're especially good with a cup of coffee on a chilly morning.

You don't need a muffin pan for this recipe. Shape the dough, let it rise, coat the rounds with cornmeal, and cook them in a skillet before their quick trip to the oven. The dough makes 8 to 9 English muffins, depending on how large you shape them.

Apple Cinnamon English Muffins

Yield: 8–9 English muffins
Oven: 350°F

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 cup warm water

• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface as needed

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

• Cornmeal, for coating the muffins

• A little oil, for the bowl and skillet

For the cinnamon swirl

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until foamy.

2. Add the flour, cinnamon, salt, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Use your hands to mix until a shaggy dough forms, then fold in the chopped apple.

3. Turn the dough out onto a surface and work it with your hands until it comes together into a ball. Add a little flour as needed if it is too sticky to handle. Lightly oil the mixing bowl, return the dough to it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise on the counter for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

4. Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

5. Divide the dough into 8 or 9 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a small, long rectangle. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture in a line along the dough. Roll it into a log, starting at one long edge, then gather and pinch the dough into a ball to enclose the swirl. Gently flatten the ball into a thick English muffin round. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

6. Arrange the rounds on a lined baking sheet with room between them. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise for another 30 minutes. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7. Put some cornmeal in a shallow bowl and lightly coat both sides of each round. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Cook the muffins for 1–2 minutes per side, until a golden brown crust forms. Work in batches if needed, then return the muffins to the lined baking sheet.

8. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the muffins are cooked through in the center. Let cool before splitting. For the classic English muffin texture, use a fork to split each one around its edge, then toast and serve with butter.

A few helpful notes

• Chop the apple finely so the pieces fit neatly inside the shaped muffins.

• Keep the skillet time short: the oven finishes cooking the centers after the outside is golden.

• If the muffins are shaped especially thick, check the center of one before serving and give the batch a little longer in the oven if needed.