These homemade English Muffins are crisp on the outside and so soft on the inside. Just try one, and you'll never reach for store-bought again!
Looking for more homemade breakfasts? Try my Easy Biscuits or Buttermilk Pancakes next!
About This Recipe
Nothing beats a homemade English muffin. I made a batch yesterday afternoon, and had the pleasure of eating them right off the stove top- still steaming hot and crisp. Even my wife, who was working from her home office, got lured out by the smell and started eating one with me. She said they were the best English muffins ever.
This recipe is super simple to make but takes a bit of patience. You need to wait about 2 hours in total for the yeast to work its magic and make the muffins light and fluffy. But trust me, it's worth the wait. The muffins come out beautifully soft and fluffy, and you'll never want to buy store-bought again. I eat them simply with some butter spread between them, and it's the perfect breakfast!
I do recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe. The reason is that the dough is slightly on the stickier side, and hand-kneading sticky dough is very difficult and messy. You do not want to add too much flour otherwise the muffins will come out dry.
If you're looking for a challenge, you can use them in my special chili oil eggs Benedict recipe!
Key Ingredients
Warm milk: I recommend starting with warm milk, not hot, about 110F. This will speed up the initial fermentation, so you're not waiting as long for the yeast to activate.
Melted butter: For giving the muffins a soft and tender crumb. You can also use equal parts oil, but butter has a nicer flavor.
Egg: Egg is essential for providing structure and tenderness to the crumb.
Sugar: Just a little bit for sweetness.
Instant yeast: I love using instant yeast in my recipes because you do not need to activate it in liquid first. If you use active yeast, you can let it sit in the milk mixture for 10 minutes before starting.
Salt: For enhancing all the flavors.
All-purpose flour: As always, make sure to spoon and level your flour into your measuring cup so that you don't overmeasure the flour.
Cornmeal or semolina: For sprinkling on the outside of the English muffins.
Instructions
STEP 1: In a stand mixer bowl, mix together the milk, butter, egg, sugar, yeast, and salt.
STEP 2: Mix in the flour with the dough hook on medium speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be somewhat tacky, but not overly sticky. If it's too sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon of extra flour.
STEP 3: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
STEP 4: Punch down the dough, then onto a generously floured surface. Roll to a ¾-inch thick rectangle.
STEP 5: Cut into 2 ½-inch circles and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet with cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom.
STEP 6: Sprinkle the tops with more cornmeal. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes or until noticeably puffed.
STEP 7: Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with butter, then add 3-4 pieces of dough with some space between each one.
STEP 8: Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side until golden brown. If the bottoms get too brown, reduce the heat to low.
Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk (not hot)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled)
- ¼ cup cornmeal (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, mix together the milk, butter, egg, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Mix in the flour with the dough hook on medium speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be somewhat tacky, but not overly sticky. If it's too sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon of extra flour.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Sprinkle cornmeal on a large parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Punch down the dough, then onto a generously floured surface. Roll to a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 2 ½-inch circles and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes or until noticeably puffed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with butter, then add 3-4 pieces of dough with some space between each one. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side until golden brown. If the bottoms get too brown, reduce to low heat.
Rebecca
These we great! This is the second time I made them and gifted to my 94 yr old grandmother and Aunt they absolutely loved them and so much better than store bought. Thank you for sharing!!
Stephanie
Can you use dry active yeast instead of instant? Want to try these for eggs Benedict this weekend!
Grumpy
Yes! Just mix the yeast with the milk and sugar first and let it sit for 10-15minutes before mixing with the rest of the ingredients
Denice
Haven’t tried these yet, can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Grumpy
Yes! You may need a bit extra water to get the dough to come together though.
Arlene Naples
Can I use honey instead of sugar
Grumpy
Yes!