Honey oat English muffins

Make a tastier, healthier version of the traditional English muffin.

You need to start this the night before you wish to serve them. Serve for breakfast, brunch or as an after-school snack for hungry mouths.

Makes 15

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups (ground to coarse) oatmeal
½ cup honey
1 ½ cups milk (or ½ yoghurt and ½ water)
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine flour, oatmeal, honey and milk. Stir to form a soft dough and cover with a warm, damp towel. Set in a warm place overnight.

2. In the morning, add the yeast, salt and baking soda. Use your hands to mix it all in – this gets messy.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Knead the dough a second time, just for a minute or two. Break off small bits, knead them into a smooth ball, and form into muffins. Place them on a floured tray or board to rest and rise, about 30 minutes (longer is OK too).

5. Preheat oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F).

6. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or frying pan (cast iron is ideal) to medium heat. Add the muffins, a few at a time – don’t crowd the pan – and fry 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and puffed up.

7. Transfer the fried muffins to a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.