These baked English muffins are sweet, subtly cinnamon-y, and don't need much enhancement to become a favorite breakfast or snack. Their nooks and crannies may be less pronounced than their griddled counterparts, but we promise that they'll more than soak up a generous slathering of butter.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Beat all the ingredients (except the cornmeal or semolina) at high speed for 1 minute, until the dough is fairly smooth.
Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl for about 1 hour, until puffy.
Place 12 greased 3 3/4" English muffin rings on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle cornmeal or semolina into each ring. Don't have English muffin rings? See "tips," below.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces, shape into balls, and place each into a ring, flattening it somewhat. Sprinkle the top of each with cornmeal or semolina.
Top the entire pan of muffins with a greased baking sheet; this will prevent them from doming as they rise. Let the muffins rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until they're puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the English muffins (still with the baking sheet on top) for 10 minutes. Flip the pans over, and bake 5 minutes more. Remove the top pan, and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the muffins are a light golden brown, and the interior of one registers about 200°F on a digital thermometer.
Remove the English muffins from the oven. Remove the muffin rings, and transfer the muffins to a rack to cool before splitting and serving as desired.
