If you’re looking to up your bread making game, try your hand with these Homemade English Muffins! Super soft, moist and filled with tons of nooks & crannies, these easy muffins are way better than store-bought and can be frozen!
English muffins and I have a very on-off past relationship.
On because when I eat one, I automatically question my life’s choices wondering WHY I don’t have them more often… before I eat seven more.
And off because I’ll often forget to buy them at the store and go years without consuming one, only to repeat the cycle again and again for eternity.
But now that I have had a taste of the sweet nectar that is Homemade English Muffins, I am neverrrr going back to store-bought. And I am always going to have them on hand, be it in the freezer or pantry. They are now an essential part of my life.
Dramatic? Maybe a touch. But try them and you’ll see what I mean. Doused with salted butter, there is not much more in this world as heavenly as these are.
Here are some tips to assure you get the BEST English Muffins at home:
- Use bread flour. Because of its higher gluten content, bread flour is essential in making authentic-tasting English muffins. While some have had success using a mixture of bread flour and all-purpose flour, I have not tried this. Thankfully, bread flour is pretty easy to find in the grocery store.
- Handle with care. Make sure to allow the dough plenty of time to rise and proof in order to create those fabulous signature nooks & crannies English muffins are known for! Try not to disturb the dough while the muffins are dry-frying.
- For optimal nooks & crannies, fork split the muffins. To fork split (rather than using a knife, which could sever and deflate the nooks and crannies), simply insert a fork into the side of the English muffin, and quickly pull the fork in and out of the side of the muffin as you rotate it, splitting it in half.
- Buttermilk makes it better! I tried this recipe with regular 2% milk and with buttermilk respectively and I preferred the taste of the buttermilk version a bit better. The buttermilk version kinda tasted more sourdough-y to me, perhaps due to the tang of the buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can add vinegar to regular milk to make a quick sour milk. Just add about 1 Tablespoon vinegar to the milk to measure out 1 & 3/4 cups worth.
- Yeast: This recipe uses instant yeast, which is also called rapid rise yeast. Active dry yeast can be used in a pinch! Just make sure your yeast isn’t expired.
And whatever you do, PLEASE enjoy these with a liberal schmearing of salted butter. It is absolute heaven on earth and you’ll thank me later!
*adapted from King Arthur Flour
The Best Homemade English Muffins
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16
These Best Ever Homemade English Muffins are a must-make for any carb lover! Super simple to make, taste AMAZING and freeze well!
Ingredients
- 1 & ¾ cups lukewarm buttermilk (can substitute whole or 2% milk, or make sour milk by adding 1 Tablespoon vinegar to regular milk)
- 3 Tablespoons softened butter
- 1 & ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 & ½ cups bread flour
- One package (2 & ¼ teaspoons-worth) instant yeast (can use rapid rise or active dry in a pinch)
- Fine cornmeal or semolina for dusting, optional but recommended
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the lukewarm buttermilk, softened butter, salt, sugar, egg, bread flour and yeast. Beat on low speed to incorporate the ingredients, mixing for about 1 minute. Change out the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook attachment. Continue beating on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, and is shiny and smooth. When you pull up the dough hook, it should be very elastic and stretchy, yet still soft.
- Scrape the dough into a rough ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with a dish towel and let rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size and puffy. I like to do this in a warmer place in my kitchen that has no draft.
- Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface dusted lightly with flour. Cut the dough ball in half, then cut each half into 8 equal pieces using a very sharp knife or a bench scraper, for a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball about 3″ in diameter and gently flatten the ball with your hand. Place the English muffins on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover and let proof for about 20 minutes. Muffins may not rise much more but they will likely puff up some.
- Prepare your griddle. If using a griddle, dust the griddle with cornmeal or semolina. Likewise, you can use a non-stick frying pan dusted with cornmeal. Place several muffins onto the cornmeal-dusted griddle or frying pan and turn on the heat to medium-low. Cook the muffins without disturbing them too much until golden brown on the bottom, about 10-15 minutes, before gently flipping to cook the other side. If muffins are browning too quickly, you can remove them back to the cornmeal-dusted cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until the muffins are cooked all the way through. An instant-read thermometer should read about 200 degrees F as an internal temperature.
- Remove the muffins from the heat and let cool before serving. Remember to fork split your muffins for optimal nooks and crannies. Store any leftover muffins airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight before serving.
3.5.3251
Super delicious, easy to make and so so so heavenly! I am obsessed with this recipe and I know you will be, too!
Want more delicious breakfasts? Check out these recipes!
Have a great week!
xo, Hayley
