Muffin

A muffin (or English muffin, as it is sometimes known to distinguish it from the cake-like American muffin), is a small, round, yeast-leavened bread enriched with butter and milk. Although muffins were traditionally served in Britain during winter as part of afternoon tea, they are now more commonly served at breakfast, especially in North America.

Made from either white or wholemeal flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk and eggs, muffins are formed into small, flat-topped rounds and cooked on a hot griddle until pale gold. Cooking on a griddle instead of the oven gives the muffin its distinctive flat top and bottom.

When buying muffins, you may notice a shallow slit running around the outer edges of the bread. This allows the muffin to be pulled apart (rather than being cut), creating an uneven texture that provides little pockets for butter, jam, honey and other toppings. Muffins are usually spilt in this way and toasted lightly on both sides before serving.

In addition to serving with butter and other spreads, muffins can also be used as a mini pizza base, topped with sandwich toppings or piled with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. They also form the basis of Eggs Benedict - a muffin topped with bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.