English Muffins

Recipe for English Muffins 2 cup warm water 2  packets instant yeast 4 t oil  2 eggs 1/2 cup brown sugar 4 T cinnamon (yes, 4 tablespoons, trust me) 2  t salt 4  to 4.5 cups all purpose or bread flour  1 1/2 c raisins, if using Corn meal (one cup or more, for dough pieces, and dusting parchment paper). This is a sticky sticky dough, so the corn meal helps save you from problems. Whisk warm water, yeast, oil, eggs, sugar, salt and cinnamon together. Add to flour in the bowl of stand mixer. Mix on slow with paddle attachment of stand mixer until well combined. (you don’t need a dough hook for this because the dough is real goopy… paddle works fine).  Don’t add more flour unless you really need to and don’t be scared. This dough needs to be high hydration (super wet) so it will develop nooks and crannies! English muffins with no nooks and crannies are not English muffins ok.  Rest  5 mins.   Mix  (with the same paddle attachment) for 5 mins on slow speed.  In the final minute of mixing, add raisins (if using) and mix till well distributed. Let rise for 1 h, depending on how warm it is.   Form into 24 pieces, using a spoon or bowl scraper.  Drop the pieces, one by one,  into a small bowl with corn meal.  Form the pieces and set on parchment lined and generously corn-meal-dusted pan to rest for 15 to 20 mins.  Preheat cast iron skillet (use two to halve the cook time!) on low/med for 3 or so minutes. Turn to lowest heat and Cook for 5-ish minutes per side, if the heat is not even over the entire pan, rotate at the half time point (give them a 180 degree spin) so it cooks evenly on low. Turn and repeat, checking on the doneness. If at any point they are browning too fast, just turn off for 2 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Eagerly anticipate how well the nooks and crannies developed. Toast, butter, eat. Repeat.