Pumpkin English Muffins

I’ve officially switched gears from summer to fall––my favorite season. We’ve transitioned from flip flops to close-toed shoes and cozy socks, and my vast collection of plaid button-downs is back on duty (yay!). Today, I was driving through the Hudson Valley grinning like an idiot (I only say this because I was alone in my car, smiling to no one in particular. Well…other drivers probably saw me––and thought I was a weirdo.), because I was surrounded by trees in varying shades of red, yellow, and orange. I don’t think this is the first time I’ve said this, but one of my favorite things about fall is all the baking I get to do with pumpkin. From pies to cakes to scones, pumpkin is one of the last few ingredients that we really only tend to use seasonally. Which means that one bite of pumpkin pie (or in this case, pumpkin English muffins) can immediately make me think of all the other great things I associate with fall––falling asleep on the couch in front of a warm fireplace, picking up apples and cider at the farm in my hometown, and stargazing on chilly nights with hot tea in hand. It’s all so delightfully and un-ironically cheeseball-y. I love it. Since discovering the awesomeness of homemade English Muffins in Beijing (check out our original recipe here, as well as the multigrain version here), we’ve been wanting to develop a pumpkin version. They’re pretty perfect, I must say. Cut them in half, toast them, and serve with butter. You can also sprinkle on a little cinnamon sugar if you’re feeling crazy!

Pumpkin English Muffins: Recipe Instructions

In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and spices. Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment, and add the pumpkin puree, water (start with half a cup, and add more a little at a time if the dough is too dry––up to 2/3 cup), and yogurt to the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and knead for 5 minutes. You can also knead by hand for 10 minutes. After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about ½ an inch. Cut into 12-15 circles with a 3-inch round cutter (a drinking glass works well). Sprinkle a baking sheet with the semolina and place the muffins on it. Slide the muffins around so that the bottoms are evenly coated with semolina. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour, until almost doubled in size. Heat a flat griddle pan until hot and brush with oil. Reduce heat to medium and add the muffins in batches. Cook each batch for 14 minutes, 7 minutes per side, until firm and golden brown. Turn only once.