Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle slightly.
200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) milk, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg. Add the honey and whisk again to combine, until the mixture looks creamed. Whisk in the buttermilk mixture, oil, and vanilla.
1 large egg, 200 grams (½ cup) honey, 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon) oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This is to remove lumps, not sift out the bran, so if any is left in the sieve simply tip it into the bowl.
300 grams (2 cups) whole grain spelt flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Stir the batter until just combined. A few small streaks of flour are fine. Set the batter aside to hydrate for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Once the batter has hydrated, divide it equally among the muffin cups and optionally top with raw sugar.
Raw sugar for topping
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the muffins for about ten minutes in the tin, then remove and cool fully on a wire rack. The texture is best once the muffins have cooled.
Notes
Replace the honey with maple syrup for a less sweet muffin. Storage: keep the muffins in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days, longer in a cool space. Refrigerating dries them out more quickly.Freezing: transfer fully cooled muffins to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.