These English Muffins are small, light, yeasted breads that are cooked on a flat griddle. They're a great vessel for breakfast sandwiches.
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What are English muffins?
English muffins are small, flat, round yeasted breads that are typically cooked on a griddle.
They're sliced in half horizontally and toasted before serving.
English muffins are commonly used in Eggs Benedict, breakfast sandwiches, or simply toasted with jam.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe yields a light, fluffy bun that toasts up crisp.
The dough is not overly sticky, and uses milk and eggs, which makes the muffins tender.
You can make this large batch, freeze the extra muffins and toast them up for a quick breakfast.
This recipe does not require the use of English muffin rings.
You'll only need a few ingredients to make this breakfast staple.
Ingredients you'll need
- whole milk: for the best flavor; you can also use a non-dairy alternative
- active dry yeast: or instant yeast
- granulated sugar: adds a little sweetness and helps activate the yeast
- large egg
- sea salt: or kosher salt; adds flavour to the buns
- all-purpose flour: or bread flour
- unsalted butter: softened; or you can use vegetable oil
- semolina flour: for crisp English muffins, use semolina flour which has a coarse texture; otherwise you can use cornmeal or rice flour to sprinkle over the dough
How to make them
In a bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast. Give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, egg, salt, yeast mixture, and mix until a dough forms.
Add in the butter and continue to knead the dough until smooth.
Lightly grease the bowl and dough, cover and let the dough rise (proof) in a warm place until doubled in size.
Lightly dust the work surface with semolina flour or rice flour.
Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into 15 equal portions.
Shape into round balls, being careful not to deflate all of the air bubbles.
Lightly dust the pan with semolina flour that you plan on cooking the English muffins on.
Place the the shaped English muffins on the pan/baking sheet and leave enough space in between muffins.
Note: depending on how large your pan is, you may need to do this in batches.
Sprinkle additional semolina flour on top of the muffins.
Repeat with the remainder and cover with a large piece of parchment paper.
When the English muffins have puffed up slightly, cook on the stove over medium-low heat, about 7-8 minutes per side, flipping halfway with a spatula, until golden brown and crisp.
Cool completely before using a fork to split the muffins in half.
How to store & reheat
Store the English muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Freezer:
Slice the muffins in half and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheat:
Microwave for 30 seconds until softened and warm and then toast them in a toaster oven until crisp.
Ways to enjoy English muffins
English muffins are versatile and can be used in sweet or savory applications.
Try them:
- in eggs benedict
- toasted, with some butter and jam
- in place of bagels, use them in breakfast sandwiches and add egg, sausage/ham/bacon, cheese
- as mini-pizzas
Expert tips & troubleshooting
The dough is wet and sticky.
This dough is on the stickier side. After kneading it well, the strands of gluten should start to form.
If it is too sticky, add a little oil to the dough, cover and let it rest.
For extra crisp English muffins:
Use a little more semolina flour to coat the dough.
Once the English muffins are toasted, they will be more crisp.
Why did my English muffins not have any "nooks and crannies?"
It's possible that in shaping the dough, you may have deflated the air bubbles, which cause the "nooks and crannies."
Can I use a knife to cut them in half?
You can use a serrated knife to cut them in half, but you will lose the nooks and crannies.
Ways to cook the English muffins:
You can use a large cast iron skillet (and cook in batches) or use a flat griddle pan.
If they are not fully cooked:
Pop the English muffins into a 350F oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until no longer doughy on the inside.
Other delicious recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Cheese Breadsticks (Grocery Store Bakery Copycat)
Turkey Pepperoni Cheese-Stuffed Breadsticks
Everyday Artisan-Style Crusty Loaf (No-Knead)
Let me know if you try out this recipe for English Muffins -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
English Muffins
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 400 ml whole milk
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 6 g active dry yeast
- 540 g all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 5 g sea salt
- 40 g unsalted butter softened
- semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast. Give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, egg, salt, yeast mixture, and mix until a dough forms.
- Add in the butter and continue to knead the dough until smooth.
- Lightly grease the bowl and dough, cover and let the dough rise (proof) in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Lightly dust the work surface with semolina flour or rice flour.
- Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into 15 equal portions.
- Shape into round balls, being careful not to deflate all of the air bubbles.
- Lightly dust the pan with semolina flour that you plan on cooking the English muffins on.
- Place the the shaped English muffins on the pan/baking sheet and leave enough space in between muffins.
- Sprinkle additional semolina flour on top of the muffins.
- Note: depending on how large your pan is, you may need to do this in batches.
- Repeat with the remainder and cover with a large piece of parchment paper.
- When the English muffins have puffed up slightly, cook on the stove over medium-low heat, about 7-8 minutes per side, flipping halfway, until golden brown and crisp.
- Cool completely before using a fork to split the muffins in half.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Dawn
Nothing like homemade! These look so fluffy and delicious and would make such a delicious breakfast sandwich! Perfect for a Saturday baking project.
Linsey
These English Muffins look so perfectly made! Like the soft and fluffy, a good choice to made into sweet and savory sandwiches for my breakfast and lunch. Thanks Michelle!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
These are the fluffiest English muffins I've ever seen - nothing compared to store-bought. And so easy to make!
David @ Spiced
It's been quite a while since I've made homemade English muffins. Yours look so perfectly round and uniform! The ones from the store don't look that good. I eat an English muffin with a scrambled egg for lunch most days, and I'm thinking a batch of homemade English muffins might be showing up soon!