Smoked Ham, Provolone Cheese Raisin Cinnamon English Muffin Grilled Cheese

I came home from running errands today and checked my email.  I follow this blog called Foodie Crush.  Today in my inbox was the most delightful looking sandwich, grilled cheese no less, that I have seen in a while.  The picture immediately made my mouth water.  Since I hadn't eaten lunch yet I got to thinking this would be great for my lunch today and I knew that I had several of the same ingredients.  In the original recipe it using a fig spread.  Since I didn't have any on hand I chose to use strawberry jam instead.


Here is what I did:
1 tablespoon butter
1 sourdough cinnamon raisin english muffin, split in half 
1 tablespoon strawberry jam 
A couple of slices of smoked ham 3 slices of provolone cheese

Heat a skillet on medium. Butter one side of the muffin. On unbuttered side spread on strawberry jam, add cheese slices (you may need to break the cheese since the muffin is smaller than the slice of cheese) then add ham.  Place other side of muffin on top, buttered side up, and grill in skillet until bread becomes golden. Flip sandwich once and cook until cheese melts and bread becomes golden. Cut in half and serve hot.  Since I used an english muffin you may need to push down on it while it is in the skillet to get everything to melt and heat up.  

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough English Muffins

In my post the other day where I made regular english muffins I mentioned that the next time I made them I would make cinnamon raisin muffins, and so I did.  The kitchen smells like cinnamon which is so nice.  My husband says that the cinnamon smell reminds him of his childhood when he was in the kitchen with his grandmother and she would make him cinnamon toast.  I like that kind of memory.  I could tell when he was talking about it he remembers her fondly.


Raisin Cinnamon Sourdough English Muffins
In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup fresh starter**, 1-1/4 cups warm non-chlorinated water and 1-1/2 cups flour.  Set in a warm place until bubbly, (several hours).Combine these next ingredients together in a separate bowl:1 cup flour (any flour can be used)1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Cinnamon
RaisinsStir the flour mixture into the bubbly sourdough batter, add enough cinnamon and raisins to incorporate into the dough.  You may want to add a little cinnamon to your board that you knead the dough on.  You want enough cinnamon and raisins to know that it is a cinnamon raisin muffin. Stir in enough extra flour to make a tough, plastic like dough, 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.  Knead 3-5 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.  Roll on a lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into 3 inch rounds with a wide mouth canning jar ring.  Sprinkle a place with cornmeal.  Moisten both sides of the dough rounds with non-chlorinated water and flop them on the cornmeal.  Place each on waxed paper, leaving enough space so that they do not touch and can rise.  Let rise until double in thickness (about 1 hour).  Very lightly grease a skillet or electric fry pan*, heating to low, 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook them about 10 minutes on each side until browned and puffed up.  Cool. Split with a fork and toast. 
*I used an electric fry pan so that I could regulate the temperature easier.
**Fresh Starter - In a bowl with 1/2 cup of sourdough starter add:1-1/2 cups flour1-1/4 cup warm, non-chlorinated, waterStir thoroughly, and set in a warm place as before until it is actively bubbling.  (About 6-1/2 hours) When starter is bubbly and light, stir gently, then set aside the 1/2 cup of start and put in the refrigerator until next time.  Now you can proceed with your favorite recipes with the fresh starter.  The sourdough is fresh when you start the recipe so it should be less time to see the active (bubbly) stage again depending on the temperature it is placed in.

Cinnamon Raisin Muffins on Left, Regular Muffins on Right