These mini English muffins are best served slightly warm. Make them ahead and keep them covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out, then simply reheat them in a low oven to serve.
Ingredients
English muffins
Method
Main
1.For muffins, combine yeast, sugar and 60ml lukewarm water in an electric mixer and stand to activate yeast (5-10 minutes). Add flour, milk, butter, 190ml water and 1 tsp sea salt, and knead until smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes). Place in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand until doubled in size (40-50 minutes).
2.Preheat oven to 180°C. Knock back dough, then roll on a lightly floured surface to 1cm thick. Cut out muffins with a 5cm-diameter cutter, rerolling scraps, dust lightly with semolina and set aside on a tray until increased in size by half (10 minutes).
3.Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add a third of the butter, then fry a third of the muffins, turning occasionally until golden brown (5-10 minutes). Wipe out pan and repeat with remaining butter and muffins. Transfer to an oven tray and bake, turning once, until puffed and cooked through (8-10 minutes).
4.Mix herbs into aïoli and season to taste.
5.Split mini muffins, fill with aïoli and mortadella, and serve warm.
