English Muffins
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Classic English Muffins Recipe: These bake up so soft & chewy, and the recipe couldn’t be simpler. Great breakfast or snack with butter & jam.
I’m so happy to be bringing you this easy English muffin recipe today!
This post is another joint effort between myself and Jen. She created the recipe and took the pictures, and I’m here just to fill in some of the blanks!
If you are a fan of Jen‘s recipes, you’ll want to also check out her peach ice cream, Greek pasta salad, and lemon cookies!
But first, let’s talk English muffins.
I absolutely adore a toasted English muffin, spread liberally with melted butter and jam. The way the butter sinks down into all those little holes! So killer!
I used to eat them for breakfast almost every day, along with a hot cup of tea with milk and sugar. Heaven! That was when I was much younger and my metabolism could handle it, haha!
So now they are just for a special treat, and I’m dying to try out Jen‘s recipe. From what I can tell, it’s easy as can be and they come out nice and tall, fluffy, and delish!
Table of Contents
- What are English muffins?
- Why this is the best English muffin recipe
- What do English muffins taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make English muffins
- How to serve English muffins
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my best bread recipes
What are English muffins?
So these are a type of yeast bread. I guess you could categorize them as a bun or roll? Because they’re individually portioned, rather than a loaf you’d cut into slices.
Actually, they’re leavened with both yeast and baking soda, so they’re kind of in a category all their own!
They’re also seared on a skillet and baked in the oven. They really are unusual as far as breads go!
You split them in half horizontally and toast them (usually), then spread them with whatever kind of topping you like. On the inside, there are millions of little air pockets, making them impossibly light!
They are pillowy-soft yet they have the most wonderful chewy, yeasty quality. Excellent for breakfast or an afternoon snack!
Why this is the best English muffin recipe
- Tastes amazing: When you make something with your own two hands, with wholesome, quality ingredients, the flavor just can’t be beat.
- Few ingredients: You’ll only need a handful of pantry staples to make these.
- Easy to make: Follow the recipe step-by-step. The instructions are simple enough even for a novice baker!
- Versatile: Top your English muffins in all sorts of different ways, or punch up the dough with interesting flavors!
What do English muffins taste like?
These English muffins have a little bit of a tangy, yeasty flavor, and a nice balance of sweet and savory.
Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour (or a gluten-free flour blend that can sub 1:1) forms the basis of the bread.
- Salt: Kosher salt balances and intensifies all the flavors.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar (or a 1:1 substitute) provides a little sweetness, but also feeds the yeast, keeps the English muffins moist, and helps them to brown properly.
- Leavening: A combination of baking powder and instant yeast helps the dough to rise sky-high and impossibly light!
- Milk: Adds richness and flavor to the dough and helps to dissolve the yeast.
- Butter: Unsalted butter enriches the dough and helps all the delicious flavors to linger on your palate.
- Egg: A large chicken egg (or 1:1 plant-based substitute) will also enrich the dough and give it a gorgeous golden color.
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: A large mixing bowl, in which to make the dough.
- Pot: A small saucepan, for heating the milk and butter.
- Mixer: A stand mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment) saves your arm from a heavy workout!
- Rolling pin: For rolling out the dough into a thin sheet.
- Cutter: A 3 3/4-inch round cookie cutter cuts the dough into individual rounds.
- Parchment: Parchment paper sheets line the pan to prevent sticking and make cleanup a snap.
- Baking sheet: On which to bake the homemade English muffins.
- Dish towel: Covers the dough to prevent it from drying out as it rests.
- Skillet: Crisps and browns the English muffins on each side.
How to make English muffins
Homemade English muffins come together with just a few simple steps!
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Heat milk and butter
Warm the milk and butter together until the butter is just melted, then cool for several minutes until lukewarm.
Step 3: Make dough
In a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and an egg on low speed until the dough is combined. Mix on medium speed for an additional minute.
Step 4: Cut out English muffins
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thick.
Use a 3.75 inch round cutter to shape the dough, then transfer to a sheet pan dusted with semolina flour.
Loosely cover and let the dough rest for 30 to 90 minutes.
Step 5: Cook English muffins
In a nonstick skillet set over medium-low heat, cook the muffins for around 3-5 minutes per side, or until lightly crispy and brown.
Then bake at 325 degrees F for an additional 15 minutes.
How to serve English muffins
I really love a toasted, buttered English muffin for breakfast, but they are equally good as an afternoon snack!
Once the English muffins are baked, gently push the tines of a fork all around the edges to split them in half horizontally.
A fork is better than a knife because it allows for a more “craggly” texture. These “craggles” get crispy in the toaster and their opposing hollows stay soft, so you get the most wonderful combination of crisp and soft!
Spread them with your topping of choice. Again, butter is fabulous, always. But you can also think about peanut butter, Nutella, cookie butter, cinnamon sugar, lemon curd, jam, marmalade… the list goes on and on!
You can even use an English muffin for sandwiches. Try one with chicken salad! Scrumptious.
Expert tips
Lukewarm liquid: Make sure the milk and butter mixture is lukewarm before adding it to the dry ingredients. Hot liquid can kill the yeast!
Rest as needed: You can re-roll the dough as much as needed, but keep in mind that it will become more elastic the more you work with it. If you notice the dough shrinking after rolling it out, let it rest for 5 minutes.
Freeze: Since these English muffins don’t have preservatives, they won’t stay fresh as long as store-bought versions. They freeze very well. Simply store them in an airtight container or bag, then microwave them individually for 30 seconds to defrost.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, these will stay fresh for 24-48 hours if stored in an airtight container.
After that, I recommend freezing them (see below for more info).
Yes! These freeze beautifully.
Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer.
To thaw, simply heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Each serving is 1 English muffin.
The nutritional info below is for 1 English muffin. It does not include any toppings.
A few more of my best bread recipes
English Muffins
Ingredients
- 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour, (22 1/2 ounces), plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- 2 teaspoons (24 g) instant yeast
- 1 3/4 cups (427 g) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large (50 g) egg, lightly beaten
- Semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and yeast.
- In a small or medium saucepan, heat the milk and butter together over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the butter has melted.
- Let the milk cool until it’s lukewarm (you can speed this up by placing the liquid in the fridge for several minutes).
- Place the dry ingredients in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough attachment, then turn on the mixer to low speed.
- Add the milk mixture* and egg, mixing until the dough comes together.
- Turn the speed up to medium and mix for an additional minute. (Note: the dough will be a bit sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of flour and mix until just combined).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, then roll out to around 1/2-inch thick.
- Use a 3 3/4-inch cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough, re-rolling as needed.
- Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina flour. Cover the baking sheet loosely with a dish towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (approx. 45-90 minutes).**
- Place an oven rack on the center shelf and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Use a nonstick skillet set over medium-low heat to cook the English muffins for 3-5 minutes per side, or until lightly crisp and browned.
- Transfer back to the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Before serving, fork split the English muffins.
I love these recipes but i don’t have a stove to bake but i make use of the non bake recipes. Thank you so much for helping people like me how to cook and bake. I love to cook and bake for my family.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I’ll keep trying to come up with more no-bake recipes 🙂