Homemade English Muffins
These 7-ingredient Homemade English Muffins are so tasty and easier than you’d think. You’ll get the nooks and crannies just like the store-bought ones but these will be the freshest and most delicious ones you’ve tasted.
Have you ever had a freshly baked English Muffin, hot out of the oven? Before I attempted these, I can’t say I ever have. These pillowy soft Homemade English Muffins have those perfect divots and pockets you’d expect, for all your toppings to fill and melt into. They are fluffy, slightly chewy, and have just the right amount of crispiness on the outside. These muffins with the nooks and crannies can easily be found at the store but there is something so special about being able to make them right at home and experiencing a fresh one right out of the oven. I mean where else can you get that except for at home?!
So I just had to give them a try myself. They turned out even better than I imagined, were easy to make and the flavor was better than any store-bought version I’d ever tried. This will be your new favorite lazy weekend project and simpler than you’d expect. You are only 7 ingredients away from enjoying these yourself and most of these items you probably already have on hand.
7 Ingredients for Homemade English Muffins
- Milk: This will give softness to the dough and helps keep the muffins moist. I like to use whole milk but you can use low-fat or even your favorite variety of dairy-free milk would work.
- Yeast: I always use instant yeast because there is no need to activate it before adding the other ingredients. You can use active dry yeast instead but you will need to activate it with the warm milk first, which takes about 10 minutes.
- All-purpose Flour: I prefer all-purpose flour for these because of how soft and fluffy it makes the dough. They still have just the right amount of chewiness, so no bread flour is needed here.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor.
- Honey: This feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness.
- Salt: Every bread recipe needs salt and will add flavor.
- Cornmeal: This is optional for sprinkling on both sides of the dough rounds, before cooking them. I think this small step makes a big difference and makes these feel really authentic, just like the ones you’d buy.
How are Homemade English Muffins Made?
I was really intrigued when I first learned that English Muffins are actually cooked on a griddle or in a pan on the stovetop with a little bit of butter, rather than baked. I’ve seen a few different ways that you can shape the dough into circles, including shaping the dough into balls with your hands or using metal ring molds. For this recipe, the dough is instead rolled out and then cut into circles with a cookie or biscuit cutter. I like the look of the clean, crisp cut you get with the cutter and there’s no need for molds that you probably won’t use for any other project.
What Does Fork Split Mean?
I’ve seen this on packages of English Muffins at the store but never understood why until I made my own. Using the prongs of a fork to split the muffin open, rather than using a knife to cut it in half will help retain the rugged interior texture that you’d expect to see in a classic English Muffin. Cutting the muffins in half could actually leave you without the traditional texture of the nooks and crannies. Use a fork and insert the prongs into the side of the English Muffin, making your way all around the sides while gently pulling it open.
Best Ways to Enjoy Homemade English Muffins
The possibilities are endless. Try my favorite Hot Honey and Pepperoni English Muffin Pizza. Absolutely delicious and a quick and easy snack or lunch. Have fun, get creative and see what combinations you can come up with! Here are a few other ideas of spreads you can add and ways you can transform your plain English Muffin:
- Butter
- Jam or Jelly
- Honey or Honey Butter
- Cream Cheese + Jam
- Peanut Butter
- Breakfast Sandwich (think McMuffin style)
- Avocado Toast
- Eggs Benedict
I hope you find these as fun to make (and eat) as I have. Happy English Muffin making!
Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (3g) instant yeast
- 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces, plus 1 Tablespoon (14g), for greasing the pan
- 1 Tablespoon (20g) honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (40g) cornmeal, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Heat milk in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat until the temperature reaches 80-90 degrees F, or use the microwave. This is just to take the chill off the milk so make sure not to overheat it or it will kill the yeast.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in this order: milk, yeast, flour, butter, honey, then salt. Mix on low speed until combined then increase to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be smooth but tacky and should slightly stick to your fingers.
- Place the dough in a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot, or at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and sprinkle on some of the cornmeal to create a light layer.
- Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Gently press out any air bubbles then form the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 8” wide by 12” long and about ¼” thick. You can use your hands to press out the dough or use a rolling pin, but make sure not to roll the dough too thin.
- Dust a 3 ½” round cookie or biscuit cutter with flour and cut 6 rounds out of the dough. It’s normal for the dough to shrink slightly at this stage. Set the pieces of dough on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Dust the tops of the dough pieces with more cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for about 45 minutes or until ¾” high.
- For the remaining scraps of dough, knead them together and press into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes to relax the dough. Then roll out the dough large enough to yield 2 more rounds and repeat step 5.
- Preheat a griddle, cast-iron skillet, or non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. You can tell that it’s ready when a drop of water sizzles on contact.
- Lightly grease the pan with butter. Gently add the English muffins to the greased pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook until the bottom is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Flip the muffins over and cook until the other sides brown, about 5-7 minutes more. The internal temperature of the muffins should be around 190°F.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Use the prongs of a fork to split the muffins open. Toast and serve with butter, jam, or your favorite topping!
