This Homemade English Muffins recipe is so much easier than you think! It’s so simple and will give you soft, chewy muffins in no time. Enjoy them with butter or your favorite jam!
Homemade English Muffins Anyone Can Make
This recipe turned out to be a winner and it’s actually quite simple. Simply mix the ingredients in a stand mixer and let the dough rise, then shape and cook. If you’re looking for a whole wheat version, try my 100% whole wheat English muffins.
Who doesn’t love a toasted English muffin for breakfast?
Unlike banana bran muffins and cinnamon raisin muffins, English muffins are leavened with yeast. They are typically served sliced and toasted with a sweet or savory topping. You can even make sandwiches with them.
With this tutorial, you can make English muffins at home any time you want.
Why this Homemade English Muffins recipe works
- Bread flour is used to give the muffins a chewy texture.
- The dough is sticky! A sticky dough means there’s optimal hydration to yield nooks and crannies that English muffins are known for.
- The muffins are toasted on the stovetop then baked in the oven. Baking them ensure the middle is completely done.
How to make English Muffins
The dough needs two rises. Once right after it’s prepared and once after it’s divided and shaped into English muffins. Let’s go over how to make it. Or you can scroll all the way down to get the full printable recipe with ingredients.
The Dough – This dough recipe is soft and chewy. It’s a basic dough recipe using flour, yeast, milk, sugar, and salt. The dough will be sticky but avoid excess flour. This sticky dough will yield muffins filled with nooks and crannies.
Here’s how to put it together…
Proof the yeast. Warm milk and honey to 105-115°F. Stir in the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg and butter.
Make the dough. Use a stand mixer to make it easier since this dough will be sticky. With the dough hook attached, mix flour and salt together then gradually pour in the yeast mixture. Let the dough mix for about 4 minutes until it turns smooth but is still sticky.
Proof the dough. Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size. This can take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Divide the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 16 equal-sized pieces. Or you can pinch off pieces of dough and weigh them for more uniform muffins. Each piece of dough should weigh about 78 grams.
You can make smaller muffins by dividing the dough into 22 pieces, each weighing about 57 grams.
Shape the dough. Roll each piece of dough into a ball then flatten the ball into a disk.
Rise again. Place the disks of dough on baking sheets with parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal over the top and cover them with a lint-free towel. Let the dough rise in a draft-free area for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Cook. On a griddle over medium-low heat, brown both sides of each disk of dough. Return the muffins to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Cool. Let the muffins cool completely before slicing or the centers will appear doughy. Once cooled, use a fork to split them open. You can toast them in a toaster or toaster oven and serve them with your choice of toppings.
How to store English Muffins?
Keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze English Muffins?
English muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm before serving.
How to toast English Muffins?
Split the muffins open with a fork. This guarantees nooks and crannies! Place each half of the muffin in a toaster and toast until the edges are lightly browned. The end result will be a crunchy and chewy texture. YUM!
If you like this English Muffin recipe, try these other breakfast recipes:
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Homemade English Muffins
Homemade English muffins are so much easier than you think! This recipe is simple and will give you soft, chewy muffins in no time. Enjoy them with butter or your favorite jam!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, (1 packet) SEE NOTE 1
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 5 cups (650 g) bread flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and honey over low heat until it reaches 105-115ºF. Remove from heat, stir in the yeast, and set aside for 5 mins. Whisk in the egg and melted butter.
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. with the mixer on low speed, gradually pour the milk mixture into the flour.
- Continue to beat on low until the flour is incorporated, stop and scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for about 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and sticky.
- Scrape the dough out into a lightly oiled bowl. Brush a little oil over the top of the dough. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, using as little flour as possible, gently knead the dough together. (The dough is very sticky. Add just enough flour to make it easy to handle.)
- Divide the dough in half. Divide each half into 8 equal sized pieces. You should have 16 dough balls. (If you want smaller muffins, divide each half into 11 pieces to equal 22 dough balls.) Roll each piece into a ball and flatten the ball into a disk.
- Place the disks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal over the tops. Cover with a lint-free towel and set in a draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Gently lift each disk with a plastic spatula and place it on the griddle. (Handle the dough with care so you don't deflate it) Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned on both sides. Work in batches.
- Place the muffins back on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- Split the English muffins with a fork and toast them a toaster until the edges are lightly browned. Serve warm with your favorite jam or butter.
Make ahead tip
- Muffins are good for up 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Muffins can also be wrapped in plastic wrap, sealed in a zip-top bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and toast before serving.
Notes
- This recipe doesn't call for proofing the yeast in water before you use it. Because of this, it's important to use brand new yeast that's well within its expiration date. If you are worried about whether your yeast is good, you can add it to 1/4 cup of warm water (105-115°F) with 1 teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes. If it foams, it's good to use. Omit 1/4 cup of milk (so you'd only use 1 and 3/4 cups) and add the yeast mixture to the warmed milk mixture as you would in step 1.
To get muffins that are uniform in size, I suggest weighing the dough. For 16 muffins, each portion of dough should weigh 78 grams. For 22 muffins, each portion of dough should weigh 57 grams.
Adapted from Laura in the Kitchen
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 22mg Sodium: 91mg Carbohydrates: 41g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 3g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 6g
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Kim says
I have tried a couple of other recipes the past couple of years and this one, by far, is the easiest and the best one I’ve used. I’m just not sure I know when they’re done. I put them in for 12 minutes and then another 2. I can’t wait to cut one open and try it. thank you for the recipe!
Don Cook says
How do you keep from having the English muffins turn hard after you reheat them?
Jen Sobjack says
How are you reheating them? It’s recommended to toast them in a toaster. The outside will crispen while the inside remains soft.
JN says
I’ve been making these for a long time now. They always turn out differently, sometimes small and thick, other times wide and thinner. But always delicious, and soft. I do make some changes, like half wheat and half bread flour. Oil instead of butter. And reducing honey to 16g. They still taste amazing. My question, when I keep the dough more wet like in your pictures, how do I transfer it to a bowl or divide it into portions, without it getting stuck everywhere, including my hands? Because it’s so sticky, I always find myself adding more flour, which I know will affect the rise, and possibly make them taste more like rolls rather than chewy muffins. Any tips? Special tools I could use?
Jen Sobjack says
You can try lightly oiling your hands and work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
Rebecca says
I am reading all the comments to try to find out where I went wrong. Mine ended up like hockey pucks. I managed to eat 2 but can’t do it! I don’t know where I went wrong, other than reading about how maybe I didn’t use enough cornmeal, as mine deflated in the transfer to the pan on the stove. Any hints?
Jen Sobjack says
It’s really hard to say what went wrong since I wasn’t there to see you make them. But my suggestions would be to make sure you weigh the flour so you aren’t using too much by mistake. And to handle the dough with care so the muffins don’t deflate.
Linda Kirkland says
Can I make this using instant yeast and how would I go about it?
Jen Sobjack says
Follow the same process. The only difference is the rise time will most likely need to be shortened. Only let the dough rise until doubled in size.
Laura says
Can these be mixed by hand? A stand mixer is on my wishlist but I don’t have one yet.
Jen Sobjack says
Certainly. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon. Once the flour is incorporated, knead it by hand until smooth. The dough is sticky and adding too much flour during kneading will cause the muffins to be dense.
JK says
Can half and half be substituted for whole milk?
Jen Sobjack says
Whole milk will give you the best results.
Linda Schmidt says
I made these and gave them with homemade Christmas Jam for gifts this year. They were well received. They are SOOOOO good. Making some more today because I have been craving them.
Jen Sobjack says
That’s so wonderful, Linda! I’m thrilled they were a success for you!
Christine says
I have made these probably a dozen times now so I should probably let you know how awesome this recipe is. My friends, family and I all thank you for it! It’s super easy to follow, the ingredients are ones I always have on hand, and they are so delicious!
Jen Sobjack says
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Christine!
Alex C says
I followed the steps perfectly, and my dough never completed the first rise….after 1 hour, it didn’t rise at all. Left it alone for another hour, still no rose. My active yeast is fine, not expired and I just used it the other day with no issues. Maybe if I try it again I will use instant yeast instead and do have of the recipe in order to not waste ingredients even more if it fails.
Jen Sobjack says
There are several reasons why dough will fail to rise that go beyond the yeast being good. Make sure you are allowing the milk to reach the proper temperature. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast. If your house is cold, it could inhibit the dough rising. If you improperly measured the flour and used too much, the dough won’t rise.
Yelena says
The recipe is very good, my son loved them, making them again!
Thank you very much!
Fred says
I’m currently planning a chrismas brunch so I’ve been thinking about what I can prepare ahead of time to minimize work once family arrives. Since I’ll probably serve up eggs benedict I’ve considered whipping up a batch of muffins and freezing them.
Have you tested when best to freeze them – after browning them in the pan (and before the oven) or after they’ve been in the oven?
Jen Sobjack says
Fully cook them, then freeze them once they’ve cooled.
Nick Weiss says
I have CHF and try to limit my sodium intake. Can these homemade English muffins be made without the salt or what would the minimum amount required be?
Jen Sobjack says
Salt usually helps prevent yeast from overreacting. I’m not 100% the muffins will work out without the salt but it’s worth a try.
Cindy says
Looking forward to trying your recipe! Do you grease the griddle at all or is the cornmeal enough to keep the dough from sticking to the pan?
Jen Sobjack says
You don’t need to grease the griddle. Once they start to brown they will release from the pan.
Ang says
I made these with1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. It took forty minutes to get an internal temperature of 200 degrees. They turned out a little harder than I would have liked but they were good. Next time I’ll try white flour.
Jen Sobjack says
I have a whole wheat English muffin recipe if you’d like to try that next time.