Gracing the front cover of the Model Bakery cookbook are the Napa bakery’s famous English muffins. I’ve made muffins before but they look authentically like store-bought ones versus these golden puffy pillows that sell out every morning at the downtown St Helena shop.
When I tasted my first Model Bakery muffin it was unlike anything I’ve ever had – this is how it’s supposed to taste? – I thought. The muffin had been in the freezer for about a week and I placed in a toaster oven to re-crisp. It was so flaky, crisp and buttery. Thank goodness for the book, because I had to have them, at any time I wanted. Lucky for me, shortly after my experiment I got to meet the owners of the bakery so I could see firsthand how the muffins were made and get some tips in the process. So here we go, my muffin adventure!
In preparation for my attempt at the muffins, I stopped by the bakery on a recent Napa day trip to pick up some for comparison. Foolish me , I went in the afternoon and they were sold out. All 1000 that they make a day. Of course they would be they’re so delicious. All I could do was admire the charming hanging muffins in the shop window, tempted to pluck them off and eat them.
Back in my home kitchen I set out to make a batch. Each muffin is shaped without the English muffin cutters, which I own. Simply roll the dough into balls and flatten them out to create discs. Let them proof on a sheet pan coated with cornmeal flour. My kitchen is like an icebox so I didn’t get much rise out of them. I was hoping the contact with the pan’s heat would help.
The trick for Model Bakery’s muffins is making them in a hot cast iron pan that is well-buttered throughout the cooking process. The first few may be testers until you can adjust for the appropriate temperature. Mine pan was a bit too hot. The muffins did expand and puff a bit while cooking.
Completed, sliced, warm and ready for some butter. The verdict? Fresh, they were close in taste and texture. However once cooled and re-toasted they became very dense. I was not ready to give up on these so I was prepared with many questions when I met the owners of Model Bakery at Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco.
A mountain of mini muffins at the book signing for attendees. So gloriously beautiful and book cover perfect.
There were muffins everywhere in the kitchen that day. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way and I can’t tell you how many I ate because I lost count.
Sarah and Karen, daughter and mother team, of Model Bakery with cookbook co-author, Rick Rodgers.
Model Bakery English Muffin Tips:
1. Their recipe calls for a pre-ferment. This provides flavor rather than rise to the final dough. In the recipe, additional yeast is added to the final dough for rise.
2. The bakery uses Saff brand instant yeast. Keep it in the fridge so it stays fresh.
3. The bakery uses extra virgin olive oil for maximum flavor.
4. Kneading the dough- do the windowpane test, which is to take a small piece of the dough, stretch it between your fingertips and it should be translucent when held up to the light. If still opaque, it needs to be kneaded more.
5. When proofing the rounds, let them proof until they get really puffy, almost too much. This is probably where I went wrong because of how cold it was in my kitchen.
6. Make sure the cast iron pan or griddle is nice and hot.
7. Have plenty of clarified butter on hand. The bakery prepares 40 gallon pots! Make it the day before, place it in a bowl and then scoop out the clear liquid (clarified butter) and melt it. The milk fats will have solidified and settled to the bottom. If you wish to separate it immediately, they suggested a gravy separator.
For more photos from their event, visit the Williams-Sonoma Union Square Facebook page.
Visit Model Bakery:
1357 Main St
Saint Helena, CA
707-963-8192
Oxbow Public Market (this location is where they make all the bread and deliver to the Main St shop)
644 1st St
Napa, CA 94581
707-259-1128
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