Food styling: Joan Moravek. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune.
Two-ingredient dough struck me as suspect. How could a single recipe that calls for a pair of staples have conquered the entire internet? Isn’t it just yogurt mashed into flour? How good could it be?
Let me testify: very good.
Presumably science can explain how Greek yogurt and self-rising flour yield bread with a chewy crust and tender interior. Presumably science can be sidestepped in favor of the obvious: It’s a miracle.
One with semantic issues. Self-rising flour comprises all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder. Dough leavening with such a chemical agent produces quick bread, muffin or scone. In other words, two-ingredient bread is a four-ingredient biscuit. And a wonder.
True believers swear the dough can be shaped into pleasing pizza, pretzels and — stretching credulity — bagels. I find its tangy taste and craggy crumb perfect for English muffins — ones simple enough to bake before breakfast. See? Miraculous.
Simple English Muffins (revised)
Please note, I’ve updated this recipe since it was first published.
Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 22 minutes
Makes: 8
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt (be sure to use Greek, AKA strained yogurt)
1. Mash: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Scrape in yogurt. Using a soft spatula, mash until dough comes together in ball, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until dough comes together in a ball, about 1 minute.)
2. Knead: Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few seconds.
3. Shape: Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each into a ball. Pat into a puck about 3 ½ inches in diameter and ½ inch thick.
4. Bake: Set pucks on a baking sheet, leaving a little room in between. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip each muffin. Bake until golden brown, another 12 minutes.
5. Munch: Let cool 10 minutes. Using the tines of a fork or a serrated knife, split a muffin. Prise open, slather each craggy face with butter and jam. Enjoy.
Bagel alternative
I didn’t believe these could work … but they do!
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Makes: 8
2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt (be sure to use Greek, AKA strained yogurt)
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water)
For topping: Flakey salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a mixture, such as Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel”
1. Mash: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Scrape in yogurt. Using a soft spatula, mash until dough comes together in ball, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until dough comes together in a ball, about 1 minute.)
2. Knead: Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few seconds.
3. Shape: Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each into a log about 5 inches long and curl into a bagel about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, pinching firmly to seal.
4. Boil: Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Season with a little salt and honey. Drop in bagels, without crowding, and simmer, turning once, 2 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and let dry a few minutes on a rack.
5. Decorate: Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with topping. Set bagels on a sheet pan.
6. Bake: Slide pan into a 400-degree oven. Bake until golden outside and baked through, about 23 - 25 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy.