JUST DOUGH IT | Baking English muffins is surprisingly simple—and takes your eggs Benedict from ordinary to off-the-charts. Christina Holmes for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Heather Meldrom, Prop Styling by DSM

MY LOVE AFFAIR with English muffins began when I was barely big enough to chew. Yet, while I think nothing of making my own mayonnaise or putting up jars of marmalade, until recently it never occurred to me that these bundles of nooked and crannied goodness were something I could make myself. Blame the power of marketing—like Heinz with ketchup and Kleenex with tissue, Thomas's has always seemed less a brand name than a synonym. And then there's my abiding anxiety about working with yeast.

If I'd known what I was missing, I would have come around sooner. Instead, it took a visit to my parents and a wine-fueled kitchen confessional, during which it became apparent my irrational fear that the dough would fail to rise was inherited. Mom and I declared it was time we conquered our phobia, together.

The following morning I pulled a dusty copy of Elizabeth David's classic "English Bread and Yeast Cookery" from the shelf where it had languished for years, and began to thumb around. There they were, my old chums, English muffins. The recipe seemed like a cinch, calling for just a handful of ingredients and a cast-iron skillet.

Though they've become a modern supermarket staple in the States, the chewy, cornmeal-dusted buns we call English muffins have a much longer history in the British Isles, where the teatime treats are known simply as muffins. Indeed, if you ever sang about "The Muffin Man" as a child, you were singing their praises.

Once we'd stirred together the flour, milk, salt, sugar and butter, and inoculated the mixture with yeast, the dough quickly cohered. The first rise was complete before we'd finished our coffee. I measured out 10 portions of dough, and Mom scooped them up, rolling them into balls and setting them on baking sheets. Then she gently flattened them with an open palm and dusted the rounds with cornmeal. Shrouded with a tea towel and left in a warm corner to rise once more, the dough was soon pert and pillowy.

I warmed a cast-iron pan and set in the muffins three at a time. Then I watched in amazement as they quietly puffed. When I gave them a flip, I found perfectly browned, cornmeal-freckled bottoms. Finally, I popped them in the oven for a few minutes to ensure that the centers set fully.

While the muffins cooled, we prepared the reward for our brave work: eggs Benedict to rival anything turned out by the kitchen at the Waldorf. Split with a fork and toasted until the edges crisped, our muffins made ideal cradles for thick slices of Canadian bacon, poached eggs and a buttery blanket of hollandaise. Mom and I agreed that from here on in, nothing less will do for Mother's Day brunch.

Eggs Benedict

Total Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4

Eggs benedict Christina Holmes for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Heather Meldrom, Prop Styling by DSM

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 slices Canadian bacon

4 English muffins (see recipe below)

4 tablespoons white vinegar

8 eggs

1 cup hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Paprika, to taste

1. Add oil to a frying pan set over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.

2. Use a fork to split English muffins in half and toast until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Fill a large, deep sauté pan with water and bring to boil over high heat. Add vinegar and lower to a simmer. Gently crack eggs into simmering water. Poach until whites are set, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

4. To assemble: Place two English muffin halves on each plate. Top each muffin half with a slice of bacon, a poached egg and 2 tablespoons of warm hollandaise. Season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

English Muffins

Adapted from Elizabeth David's "English Bread and Yeast Cookery"

Active Time: 60 minutes Total Time: 2½ hours Makes: 10 muffins

4 loosely packed cups bread flour

1 (8.75-gram) packet active dry yeast

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2¼ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter, plus more for greasing pan

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, yeast, salt and sugar.

2. In a small saucepan, heat milk until warm. Stir in oil or butter.

3. While stirring, slowly pour warm milk into flour mixture until just incorporated. Using your hands, work dough until ingredients are well combined and just starting to form a ball. (Dough will be slightly sticky.) Cover bowl with a towel, set in a warm place and let dough rest until it has risen by half, 45-60 minutes.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 equal-size pieces. Flour your hands, then roll each portion gently between your palms to form a rough ball. Transfer balls to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Press down with your palm to flatten each dough ball into a ½- to ¾-inch-thick round. Sprinkle both sides of dough lightly with cornmeal. Cover sheet, set in a warm place and let rest until risen again by half, 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet or griddle and set over low heat. When hot, place 3 muffins on griddle and cook until both sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining muffins. When all muffins have been cooked, return to baking sheet and place in oven for 5 minutes. Eat within 2 days or freeze. Muffins will keep about a month in the freezer.

Hollandaise Sauce

Adapted from "James Beard's Menus for Entertaining"

Total Time: 10 minutes Makes: About 1 cup

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of hot sauce

1 stick butter

1. Place yolks, lemon juice, salt and hot sauce in a blender or food processor. Pulse to combine.

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter, then remove pan from heat.

3. Turn on blender or food processor and drizzle melted butter into yolk mixture. Continue blending until mixture emulsifies and thickens slightly. Serve immediately or keep warm in a double boiler.