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 dozen stashed away for lazy mornings or sudden Eggs Benedict cravings.
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.
USES
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.
Replace burger buns: Whether you’re making Baja Sliders with Green Chile Sauce or Black Bean Burgers, an English muffin makes a great substitute for buns.
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.
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. Or make it zesty by spooning on some homemade nacho cheese sauce.
BREAD, WITH A DIFFERENCE
You’ll notice as you read the recipe that there’s an extra 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
All the nooks and crannies you love with a delicious, homemade flavor!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or equal amounts whole wheat and all-purpose flour if you prefer
- 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
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda and yeast in a medium bowl.
- In a small sauce pan, heat milk slowly. Stir in honey and butter and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Do NOT scorch milk!
- Transfer milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixture (or pour into bottom of large bowl). Add egg and continue mixing until well combined.
Leaving mixer running, or stirring constantly, add the dry ingredients a small amount at a time until fully mixed. Mix or knead one additional minute.
Lightly flour a work surface. Lightly grease two baking sheets and sprinkle them with half of the cornmeal. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and GENTLY roll or pat it to 1-inch thickness. Don't press hard or you'll ruin the nooks and crannies.
Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut muffins and transfer them to the baking sheets. Reshape dough and continue cutting until all dough is used.
- Cover 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 over medium-low heat and lightly grease it. Sprinkle lightly with remaining cornmeal.
Cook muffins a few at a time, without letting the edges touch, around 2 minutes per side or until lightly golden. Transfer back to the baking sheets.
- Bake browned muffins in 325°F oven for 15 minutes or until fully risen and lightly golden brown. Let cool on wire rack.
Recipe Notes
To serve: split muffins by wedging the tines of a fork toward the center of the muffin, working all around the sides.
To store: keep in the refrigerator up to one week, or freeze on baking sheets and store in freezer up to 4 months.
More of my recipes:
Easy Baked Omelet for a Crowd – Great for meal-prep breakfasts!
Banana Bread without Added Sugar
Pin this Homemade Enligh Muffins recipe
Yes.
Mine turned out like rocks. I used half/half on the whole wheat flour and the white flour. I don’t think there was enough moisture. I used a cup of milk and then had to add a little here and there when I was reforming the dough for cuttings later on.
I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you, Raewyn. Yesterday, after reading your comment, I made another batch for my family and followed the printed version of this recipe to a tee. They came out fine, so I’m at a loss as to why the recipe didn’t work for you.
I think it boils down to be an inexperienced bread (and bread product baker). I’m going to start back at scratch with white flour (which generally has more gluten, not something I like), and then try them again once I’ve got it sussed. It’s possibly something to do with the milk or the temperature that made them flop. They were way too dense, but I believe the recipe is good – it’s just possibly a bit beyond me right now! Thank you for your response.
Is it possible the yeast was old?
It’s possible, but I did check the date and it ‘said’ it was good.