Homemade English Muffins
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Homemade English Muffins are full of nooks and crannies to cradle your favorite jelly, butter, or jam. Make extras to freeze for later!
My family is so wild for Homemade English Muffins that I’ve learned to double, and sometimes triple my recipe so we always have some on hand. They freeze beautifully, which means I usually have a couple of dozen stashed away for lazy mornings or sudden Eggs Benedict cravings.
How to Make Homemade English Muffins
Equipment
It’s easy enough to mix a single batch of homemade English muffins by hand using a big wooden spoon and bowl.
If you have a bread machine, add the ingredients in the order specified by your machine and set it to the “Dough” setting. Be sure to stick around so you can pull the dough out after the first rise. (If you’ve lost the instructions to your machine, it’s usually safe to add all of the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ingredients, saving the yeast for the last.)
If you plan to make a double or triple batch, though, I strongly encourage you to use a stand mixer.
Ways to Use English Muffins
Of course, you don’t have to eat English muffins on their own. They’re delicious in a variety of recipes:
Breakfast sandwiches: Slide a homemade sausage patty, a fried or scrambled egg, and a slice of cheese onto a muffin for breakfast you can eat on the go.
French Toast: Dip them in a batter of beaten egg, a splash of milk, and a pinch of sugar then fry both sides in butter until golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and add syrup. Yum!
Cinnamon Sugar Toast: Pop a homemade English muffin in the toaster while mixing 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon and 2 tsp. of white sugar. Slather the toasted muffin with butter and sprinkle on the sweet.
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Mini-pizzas: Top homemade English muffin halves with pizza sauce, your favorite toppings, and grated mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 375°F oven until the cheese bubbles and enjoy.
Eggs Benedict: Start with an egg poached in the microwave and top with hollandaise sauce. I like poached eggs on English muffins topped with salsa and cheese sometimes, too.
The Extra Step that Makes English Muffins Different
You’ll notice as you read the recipe that there’s an unusual step involved in making homemade English muffins. Most bread recipes go from the second rise straight into the oven. Not this one.
English muffins are unique in that they’re first cooked on a griddle (or skillet) for a few minutes before going into the oven. That’s what creates those airy nooks and crannies which make English muffins so different from American biscuits.
( Sorry for the bad photo – I was too lazy to get my camera out.)
And the taste? Honest. No, I mean that: there’s just something very honest and humble about homemade English muffins.
From the smell of the bread baking to the crunch as you bite into a perfectly split, toasted muffin smeared with butter, this is what breakfast was meant to be. Comforting. Filling. Wholesome. Delicious.
Enjoy!
Homemade English Muffins
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Large skillet or griddle
- Spatula
- Baking sheets with cooling racks
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or equal amounts whole wheat and all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup cornmeal divided
Instructions
- Lightly grease two baking sheets and sprinkle them with half of the cornmeal.
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda and yeast in a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk slowly. Stir in the honey and butter and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted. Be sure you don't scorch the milk or the recipe won't rise properly.
- Transfer the milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Add the egg and continue mixing until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients a little at a time until fully mixed. Continue mixing one more minute.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Tip the dough onto the prepared surface and gently pat it to a 1-inch thickness. Don't press hard or you'll ruin the nooks and crannies.
- Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, press down to cut muffins but don't twist the cutter as you do. Transfer the muffin cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Reshape dough and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
- Cover the baking sheets with a clean kitchen towel and let the muffins rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Also preheat a griddle or skillet on the stove over medium-low heat and lightly grease it. Sprinkle the griddle lightly with the remaining cornmeal.
- Cook the muffins a few at a time, without letting the edges touch, around 2 minutes per side or until lightly golden. Transfer them back to the baking sheets.
- Bake the browned muffins in 325°F oven for 15 minutes or until fully risen and lightly golden brown. Let them cool on wire rack then pry open with a fork or slice with a serrated knife and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try:
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