These English Muffins are easy to prepare, and taste better (in my opinion) than what you’ll buy at the store. The texture is slightly different, but you get the same “nooks and crannies” effect. I use this english muffin recipe constantly, whether it’s for a sandwich or a quick pizza fix. They freeze well, so I always have some ready to go.
A few years ago, I first shared a recipe for whole wheat english muffins, and those are still a staple around here. I love the way whole wheat adds a subtle, earthy flavor.
I’ve made a few minor tweaks to the recipe over time with repeated tests, and also taking into account reader questions and comments.
I am frequently asked about how to make regular english muffins, and since the flour is not a 1:1 conversion, I figured it was time to share a new post that covers my version of the classic recipe.
I get a lot of the same questions and comments on the whole wheat version, so I’m going to attempt to address these issues immediately.
Why don’t these have the same taste/texture as store-bought english muffins?
The big brands use a variety of preservatives and interesting ingredients that don’t involve the standard flour, yeast, salt, butter, etc. I’m sure I could start experimenting with some of them, but you’re not really going to want to go out and buy weird additives, are you?
Those english muffins also stay “fresh” in my refrigerator for so long it’s creepy. These might not bake up perfectly round or flat, either. That’s ok.
Homemade breads aren’t supposed to look perfect. As long as you enjoy how they taste, that’s all that matters.
Why didn’t my english muffins rise?
If your english muffins seem overly dense and/or like they didn’t rise at all, there are four possible causes:
- The milk/butter mixture was too hot and killed the yeast
- The yeast was too old when you started (check your expiration dates)
- Your baking soda has expired (check your expiration dates or do a vinegar test)
- You didn’t let the dough rest long enough. I don’t mind the 20 minute rest, but the results are more dense than if you give them at least 60 minutes or longer. Keep in mind that even after 20 minutes, they should still puff up on the skillet.
Tip: Do not add hot liquid directly to yeast.
Baking With Yeast
This recipe uses active dry yeast. Yeast is an ingredient many novice bakers fear, and I’d like to change that! So what is yeast, and how does it work? Can you substitute one variety for another? Check out my article What is Yeast to learn more!
Anyway, I hope you love these as much as I do! Do I have any sourdough fans out there?
At some point, I’m hoping to try using my starter to create a sourdough version of these. Let me know if that’s something you’d like me to share on the blog!
To see how I make these, you can check out the video for my whole wheat english muffins, which follows the exact same process:
Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
- 22 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 5 cups)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, beaten
- semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and baking soda.
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter over medium heat until the butter has just melted. Let the milk cool for several minutes until it's lukewarm.
- Place the dry ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, and turn on low speed. Add the milk and butter along with the egg, mixing until the dough comes together. Allow it to mix on medium speed for an additional minute. (Note: This can also be accomplished without a stand mixer, by combining the ingredients in a large bowl using a spatula, and then kneading the dough until it comes together).
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to around 3/4-inch thickness (they will puff up quite a bit while cooking). Use a 3-3/4 inch cutter to cut the dough, re-rolling as needed. Place the cut dough on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour or cornmeal. Cover the baking sheet loosely with a towel and allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to 90 minutes. The less time these rest, the more dense they will be.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use a nonstick skillet on low heat to cook the muffins for 4-5 minutes per side, until lightly crispy and brown on the exterior. Finish cooking the muffins in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Before serving, fork split and toast the english muffins.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
These we fantastic, and we really enjoyed them. I didn’t make them large enough as I got 15 out of them, which we thought was fine size. I followed the recipe to a tee otherwise. Any advice to get “some” nooks and crannies, even a few, like in commercial muffins? Mine had pretty much none.
Hi Denise, I’m glad you liked them! The photos I took for this recipe don’t include one sliced in half (I’m now shocked I didn’t include one). You can see an example of what mine look like in the video embedded in this post as well as in my whole wheat english muffins (same exact recipe but with some whole wheat flour swapped in). Is that what yours looked like? Mine never come out with the same types of nooks and crannies you’ll find in the processed versions, but they still have the same overall texture and mouthfeel when eating them.