Homemade English Muffins

These Homemade English Muffins are made from a simple dough, and taste so much better than the preservative-filled ones they sell at the store. This recipe only requires one 1-hour rise, and is overall quite easy to make!

When melted butter pools inside the nooks and crannies of a crunchy, toasted homemade English muffin…oh…that’s heaven to me. English muffins have always been “a thing” for my family. If you walked into the pantry of my childhood home at any time of night or day, you would find them in a variety of flavors: sourdough, whole wheat, cinnamon raisin, rosemary…always ready to be toasted for breakfast!

If you’ve never made English muffins at home before, they are one of the BEST breads to make yourself. They only need one rise, the dough is really simple, and they don’t have the preservatives that many store-bought versions have.

Step by Step Overview:

Start by proofing yeast in warm water mixed with a little bit of sugar:

Add flour, an egg, salt, and honey:

Mix the ingredients with a spatula to roughly combine:

Then transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and knead until smooth:

Let the dough rise for about an hour, until doubled in size and stretchy/web-like on the sides, like this:

Gently punch down the dough to deflate some of the gas bubbles (otherwise the English muffins will rise too much during baking), then roll it out about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a cutter to cut circles from the dough, making sure to push the cutter straight down instead of twisting it:

Place 12 circles of dough onto each sheet pan (you’ll have two trays total). I like lining them with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Then bake for 7 minutes on each side, until lightly golden on the bottom.

Banana Bread, English Scones, and Cinnamon Raisin Bread are some of my other favorite homemade breads to bake in the kitchen. Enjoy!

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Homemade English Muffins

Servings: 24

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Rising Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins

These homemade english muffins are made from a simple dough, and only need one rise!

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cups 110°F water
• 1/4 ounce packet active dry yeast* (2.25 tsp)
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 22.5 oz all-purpose flour, by weight (4.5 cups, if measuring)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 tsp salt

Instructions 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy (this means the yeast is active and alive). 
• Add the flour, egg, honey and salt, and use a spatula to roughly combine the dough. Fit the bowl to the stand mixer and knead the dough for about 10 minutes on medium low speed using the dough hook. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let it double in size, which should take about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400° F, and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Gently punch down the dough to deflate some of the gas bubbles (otherwise the English muffins will rise too much during baking). Lightly flour the countertop. Roll the dough to a half inch thickness. Use a 3″ cutter to cut circles from the dough, pushing straight and directly down to the counter to cut, then twisting to release (do not twist on the way down). 
• Re-roll the dough and cut the scraps, and you should have about 24 English muffin circles. Place the dough circles on the prepared sheet pans, with 12 per pan.
• Bake each tray for 7 minutes, then flip the English muffins over and bake for another 7 minutes. If you have a thermometer, you can check that they are done by measuring a 200°F internal temperature.
• Cool completely on wire racks, then they are ready to be cut in half, toasted, and spread with your favorite butter or jam.

Notes

*You may also use an equivalent amount of quick-rise or instant yeast.

Storing leftovers: Because there are no preservatives, the English muffins will keep at room temperature for 2 days. For a longer shelf life, keep in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Freezing: Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave on the counter for 1 hour.

Reheating: The toaster is best, however if you want to reheat large amounts at one time, you can also reheat them in the oven. Fork split or cut each one in half, then heat in a 400F oven for about 5 minutes, until crisp.

Sweetness: These English muffins have a distinct sweetness to them from the honey. If you want less sweetness, reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons honey.

Griddle option: Some English muffin recipes are cooked on a griddle, which you can do with this same dough if you’d like. I prefer the oven because it’s easier, quicker, and cooks more evenly because the hot air circulates all around instead of the heat just coming from the bottom. Sometimes the outsides can get too brown before the interior cooks through, and then you have to put them in the oven anyway. Because the griddle is usually limited in size, it also often requires multiple batches. If you want to try the griddle, heat to 350F, and it can take anywhere from 7 to 14 minutes on each side, depending on thickness and temperature. They are done when the interior measures 200F with a thermometer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 75mg, Potassium: 32mg, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 10IU, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Joanne Ozug

[Updated from the archives with new photos, writing, and tweaked recipe. Originally posted November 2010]