Homemade English muffins are one of the best breakfast comfort foods, in my opinion. These perfectly baked little breads are golden on the outside, soft, fluffy, and full of those signature nooks and crannies on the inside, and perfect for toasting.
When you think of breakfast or appetizers of any sort, a lot of things probably come to mind. If you’re like most of us, some of those things involve English muffins. They’re classic bread that has been used in all sorts of ways over the years. Of course, everyone loves to put butter and jam on them, but there’s so much more you can do with them.
I’m sure you’ve all seen them used as crusts for mini pizzas. I’ve seen them used as breakfast and lunch sandwiches, as well. Yes, the venerable English muffin is a delicious recipe staple that you can use for all sorts of recipes.
Sure, you can buy them at the store, but why not make your own? You’re probably already saying, “Because making my own is so much work!” The great thing is, though, it really isn’t! These homemade English muffins are actually a very easy from-scratch recipe which is why I’m so eager to share it with all of you.
Homemade English Muffins
I’ve made a lot of recipes over the years, from super-involved triple layer cakes to simple slow cooker chili and everything in between. That includes all kinds of bread recipes. The one I love making the most, however, is this recipe for English muffins.
These English muffins are so easy to make, and they come out perfectly done every time. Just a few simple ingredients combine to make the classic English muffins that we all know and love, complete with that browned exterior and soft, honeycombed interior.
These homemade English muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and snacking. There’s never a wrong time for them because you can do so much with them. They’re so soft and tender on the inside and they toast up so perfectly that they’re just so incredibly versatile.
Tips
This is a very straightforward recipe. It only takes a handful of ingredients and some kneading to create these homemade English muffins. However, as simple as this recipe is, it takes some fitness to make these English muffins the very best that they can be.
The following tips are as important as they are easy. In fact, these tips are key to making the perfect English muffins, so don’t skip this section.
Room Temperature Eggs
Bringing your eggs to room temperature is important because they incorporate better and help the dough rise better than cold eggs. If you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature you can simply put them in a bowl of hot water for about five minutes.
Use Fresh Yeast
Always use yeast that hasn’t gone past its expiration date. Old yeast won’t work as well as fresh yeast, and it might not work at all.
Remember, yeast is made up of living organisms. The older the yeast is, the more likely the organisms are dead. Dead yeast can’t eat, and without eating, no gas releases. Without that, the dough doesn’t rise.
Let the Yeast Fully Bloom
Don’t add your yeast mixture to the dry ingredients until the yeast has fully bloomed. Make sure the top of your liquid is nice and foamy. This means the yeast is fully activated and ready to do its job when combined with the flour and other dry ingredients.
Knead the Dough Thoroughly
It’s important to knead the dough to get all those wonderful nooks and crannies. All those little pockets in your homemade English muffins come from gluten development, and gluten develops best when the dough is kneaded. Work your dough until it’s glossy, smooth, and stretchy. That’s when you know the gluten has really formed.
You might have heard about kneading dough too much, but don’t worry about that. It’s virtually impossible to do that by hand. Dough is generally kneaded too much when a machine is used to do the kneading.
Use Bread Flour
While we’re on the subject of gluten formation, use bread flour in this recipe if you can. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein, and that protein will help even more gluten form. The more gluten the dough has, the more nooks and crannies it has!
Variations
There’s really only one variation for this recipe, and that’s making these into a whole wheat version. Some people replace regular flour entirely with whole wheat flour. You can do that, but you might find the flavor to be a bit much. Instead, try starting with a mix of half white or bread flour and half whole wheat flour.
Serving Homemade English Muffins
This is where things get fun. You can serve the homemade English muffins almost any way you can think of! Of course, jam and butter are the perfect pair with English muffins, but there’s so much more. Some other great options include:
- Mini pizzas
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Peanut butter
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Butter and honey
- Anything you can think of
The great thing about English muffins is that you can do almost anything you can think of with them. Get creative with your toppings and see what great flavors you can create.
Storing Homemade English Muffins
These homemade English muffins will keep well in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to four days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to three months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. When you’re ready to eat them, simply thaw them out overnight in the refrigerator and then warm them up!
Homemade English Muffins are Simple and Delicious
These homemade English muffins are very simple to make, and they’re absolutely delicious. It only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes to bring the dough together. After that, just let it rise, cut it into muffin pieces, and bake.
With a recipe this easy and delicious, there’s no reason not to give them a try. After all, there’s nothing better than fresh, homemade English muffins!
Ingredients to Make English Muffins at Home
- All purpose flour
- Milk
- Sugar
- Instant yeast
- Egg
- Butter
- Salt
- Cornmeal
How to Make English Muffins from Scratch
- Whisk together warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt.
- Add in sugar, yeast, milk mixture, and melted butter and egg. Mix until dough forms.
- Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a greased bowl. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch air out of dough and divide into 15 pieces.
- Shape pieces into balls and place dough balls onto a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Dust tops of balls with cornmeal. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Take a ball and dust with cornmeal and flatten. Place in a cast iron pan over low-medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Add back to baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes at 350°.
Try This Delicious Recipe Today
Here are a few more delicious recipes that can be found on the blog:
And here are some incredibly delicious Homemade Honey Buns from Deliciously Seasoned you might enjoy as well.
These homemade English muffins are super easy to make and tastes incredible. The perfect addition to your morning breakfast.
- 2 cups milk
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 2½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 4⅓ cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- Cornmeal for dusting
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Whisk together warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
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In a large bowl, add flour and salt.
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Add in sugar, yeast, milk mixture, melted butter and egg. Mix until dough forms.
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Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
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Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces.
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Shape dough pieces into balls and place onto a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Dust tops of balls with cornmeal. Let rest for 10 minutes.
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Take one dough ball at a time and dust with cornmeal then flatten.
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Place in a cast iron pan over low-medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
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Next, add back to baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes at 350°.
Recipe mostly adapted from joshuaweissman.com
Here are a couple pics that are perfect to pin to your favorite Pinterest boards.
Enjoy, Terri
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