This easy homemade English muffin recipe is perfect for beginners! They freeze beautifully so you can always have some ready to go when you need a breakfast sandwich or quick pizza fix.
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
Make sure to let the milk cool before adding it to the dry ingredients to avoid killing the yeast.Since these English muffins don't have preservatives, they'll go bad faster than the store bought versions. I recommend using within one week. However, they freeze beautifully! Once cool, you can place them directly into a gallon-size resealable freezer bag, and use as needed. Defrost them individually in the microwave for about 2 minutes, then fork split and toast.