One bite of these easy homemade English Muffins and you’ll be hooked! They look just like the classic ones you get from the store with all the nooks and crannies but the taste and texture are so much better. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to enjoy these around your breakfast table.
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The Best English Muffins Recipe
Also known as “toasted crumpets,” English muffins were invented here in America by a British immigrant named Samuel Bath Thomas—whose name is still on the grocery store packages. That original recipe is still a secret—but that doesn’t bother us, because this is the best English muffin recipe made right at home. Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Thomas!
Unlike dry and tough storebought muffins, these Homemade English Muffins don’t even need to be toasted because they have the perfect soft and fluffy center. And of course, all those air pockets are perfect for a slathering of Honey Butter, Peach Preserves, or Hollandaise Sauce, like in our Eggs Benedict.
English Muffins Recipe Video
Before you get started, watch the video tutorial to learn how to make the most delicious English breakfast muffins with all the nooks and crannies. It’s important to visualize the steps in the process, especially how wet the dough really is.
Things to know before you begin:
- Easy and forgiving – this English muffin recipe requires 2 rises and uses active dry yeast, but it’s beginner-friendly with easy, step-by-step instructions.
- Make Ahead – With the rise time, it takes a total time of about 3 hours and you can make the dough a day ahead and cook the muffins fresh in the morning.
- Tools Make It Easy – a stand mixer is highly recommended versus mixing by hand. Also grab a 3” biscuit cutter, instant-read thermometer, and heavy-bottom skillet.
- Unbelievable texture and taste – the dough is stickier than other bread recipes because the hydration creates those tell-tale crevices. The addition of whole wheat flour creates that classic English Muffin taste.
Ingredients for English Muffins
This bread recipe is beginner-friendly, so with just these simple ingredients you can make truly outstanding English muffins.
- Whole milk – the milk fat creates a softer texture, but you can use 2% if needed
- Butter – unsalted so you can control the salt content
- Honey – feeds the yeast and gives the English muffin a little sweetness and color
- Active dry yeast – room temperature and fresh to create airy dough pockets. Instant yeast would work (see tips below)
- Bread flour – the soft flour’s high protein content creates a great texture for the English muffin recipe. See our notes on using All-Purpose below.
- Whole wheat flour – gives great flavor to the dough, but you can substitute more bread flour instead
- Fine sea salt – don’t skip this ingredient, the salt helps to balance the sweetness and enhance flavors, and it also helps the fermentation of the yeast
- Semolina flour or finely ground cornmeal – for dusting the bottom of the dough to avoid sticking, but also to add that delightful crunchy crust
Substitutions
I suggest you follow the recipe exactly the first time before making alterations. After that, here are a few substitutions you can use:
- Instant Yeast – Active Dry Yeast gives better flavor, but instant yeast will work. You don’t need to activate it, so just add it to the dry ingredients in step two with the warm milk/butter.
- All-purpose flour – you can swap the flour, but bread flour has a higher protein content that develops more gluten resulting in a chewier texture. Also, whole wheat flour adds more flavor.
How to Make English Muffins
This homemade English muffin recipe is easy when you follow these step-by-step instructions, and the taste is worth every minute of the resting time. It’s so much better than storebought.
- Activate the yeast by warming the milk to 120 ̊F in the microwave or stove, then stir in the butter and honey. When it cools to 115 ̊F, stir in yeast and rest for 7-10 minutes until the mixture foams (this lets you know the yeast is activated and working).
- Mix dry ingredients (bread flour, wheat flour, and salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix in the yeast mixture on speed 2 for 8-10 minutes. The dough will be very wet.
- Rest the dough in a well-oiled mixing bowl covered with a kitchen towel until it has doubled in size. For me, it takes about 2 hours in a warm spot at about 100 ̊F.
Pro Tip:
Keep an eye on your dough in the first rise to be sure it only doubles in size. Overproofing or allowing the yeast to work too long in the first rise can exhaust your yeast and keep your dough from rising in the second resting time.
How to Cook English Muffins
- Prep a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper. Then brush the parchment with oil, and dust the paper with cornmeal or semolina.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a floured countertop and spread the sticky dough out with your fingers until it is 1/2” thick.
- Cut uniform rounds with a floured 3” round cutter (a drinking glass or tuna can work, too) and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Dust muffins with cornmeal or semolina and cover with a dish towel to rest for 20 minutes or until lightly puffed. MAKE AHEAD: To cook the muffins the next morning, instead of a towel, cover the rounds with a sheet of oiled plastic wrap and then put them in the fridge overnight.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet or a griddle over low heat, and cook in batches. Place each one into the dry pan and cover with a lid for about 6 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. When the surface is matte, puffed, and no longer sticky to the touch, flip the muffins with a spatula. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature or barely warm before cutting or else they will be gummy. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days.
Pro Tip:
Once you’ve cut the dough into rounds, collect the scraps and use them to make two more rounds. You can even put the dough into the cutter to shape.
How to Serve English Muffins
These English Muffins are so delicious you can eat them by themselves, but they are also so versatile. These are some of our favorite serving suggestions:
- Serve alongside Scrambled Eggs, Oven-baked Bacon, or sausage
- Spread with our Plum Jam, Apricot Raspberry Preserves, Strawberry Sauce, Peanut Butter, or even our Salmon Dip Spread
- Stacked in a Breakfast Sandwich or Eggs Benedict
- Make an English Muffin Pizza using a spoonful of pizza sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Did You Know?
There is a proper way to open an English Muffin to keep those nooks and crannies: Skip the knife and use instead the tines of a fork to poke into the center of the muffin all the way around, then pull it apart with your fingers to expose the amazing texture inside.
Common Questions
English Muffins we know today were created in New York in the late 1800s by a British expat as his version of a British crumpet. The yeast-leavened bread is cut into a biscuit shape and then cooked on a skillet. When split, the resulting bread has a signature texture of nooks and crannies. Despite the name, these muffins originated in America. In fact, British stores didn’t even begin selling American English Muffins until they were exported in the 90s.
The muffins should smell delicious, look browned on both sides and register 200 ̊F on an instant-read thermometer.
Traditionally, English muffins don’t include eggs, giving the muffins distinct nooks and crannies. Adding eggs would make the muffin more bread or cake-like.
Make-Ahead
This English muffin recipe stays soft and fresh for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, but you can store them longer:
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, but be sure to toast them for the best texture.
- Freezing: Cool and freeze wrapped in foil in a freezer bag immediately for a freshly baked taste when thawed, or make our Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
- To Reheat: Thaw the wrapped English muffin on the counter, then split and toast
Our easy homemade English Muffin Recipe tastes better than store-bought with a crisp crust and soft, delicious pockets for holding butter and jellies perfectly. You will love how easy and impressive it is to make this recipe!
More Yeast Bread Recipes
Once you try these English Muffins, you’ll be hooked on making yeast bread. Try these delicious homemade bread recipes:
- Artisan Bread Recipe
- French Bread
- Focaccia Bread
- Pizza Dough
- Pita Bread
- Brioche Bread Recipe
- Dutch Oven Bread
English Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk minus 1 Tbsp
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp active dry yeast, at room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour, (*see note 1)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, optional, or use more Bread Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup semolina flour or finely ground cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Warm the milk in the microwave or a saucepan to 120 ̊F. Stir in butter and honey until melted and cooled to 110 ̊F. Stir yeast into the warm milk mixture until dissolved and set aside for 7-10 minutes to proof and form bubbles on top indicating your yeast is active.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and stir together. Add warm yeast and milk mixture. Beat together on speed 2 with a paddle attachment for 8-10 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. It will be a very wet sticky dough.
- Generously oil a large mixing bowl. Transfer dough into the bowl. It should not be sticking to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm spot (100 ̊F) until it doubles in size, about 2 hours (*see note 2).
Cut the English Muffins
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush with oil, and generously dust with semolina. Dust a clean work surface generously with flour and invert the risen dough over the flour and use your fingers to spread to 1/2” thick.
- Dip your 3” round cutter in flour between cuts to cut out your muffins. Push straight down then twist at the base. Remove them as you cut them out and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Dust the muffins with semolina, cover with a towel, and rest for 20 minutes to lightly puff. If making ahead, instead of the second proof/rising, cover with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Cook the English Muffins
- Set English muffins onto a dry cast iron pan or griddle over low heat, cover with a lid, and slowly cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 6 minutes (rotate halfway for even browning and reduce heat if browning too fast). Flip when the surface looks matte and they have puffed. Sauté uncovered for another 4-5 minutes on the second side. The center of the muffin should reach 200 ̊F on a thermometer.
- Transfer to a rack to cool to cool then enjoy or store (*see note 3). To open, poke all around with the tines of a fork the pull the sides apart.
Notes
2. Proofing Dough – your house is cool, you can let your dough rise in the oven with the oven light on. The light gives off just enough heat to help the dough along (keep it under 100˚F). Don’t Overproof – if you let your dough rise too much, you will exhaust your yeast and it won’t rise nicely in the final rise.
3. Storing – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or cool and wrap in freezer-safe wrap and freeze.
Hi Natasha! I cheated! I used my dread machine on the dough setting and folled your directions from there. My husband even likes them! I am going to make another batch today. Thanks, Carol
That’s great, Carol! Thank you for sharing that.
Hi Carol. Was the dough very difficult to get out of the machine? I wanted to try it this way! Thanks!
Absolutely amazing! I didn’t have time to knead in the kitchenaid so instead did it by hand with a danish whisk. It came out So incredibly fluffy and flavorful with spot on texture! I am amazed and will definitely be making many times in the future. Thank you Natasha!
Hi Anya, lovely to hear that! I’m happy to hear that it was a huge success, thanks a lot for sharing.
Those look delish! Have you ever tried English Toasting bread? You can buy it off the shelf in Minnesota but I can’t find it where I live. I would love a recipe that works, I’ve tried a few that don’t.
Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you came across my English Muffin recipe. I don’t have a specific recipe for English Toasting Bread, and I don’t believe I have seen it in local stores – I’ll have to keep a closer eye on that next time, but I bet with a quick search online there may be a recipe out there. I’m adding this one to my list of things to try, thank you for that suggestion!
Hi Natasha,
I followed you recipe, it was perfect! Thank you! Tastes much better than the store bought!
You’re welcome, Anna. I’m glad that you loved it!
Hello Natasha, In my place bread flour is not available. What can be substitute? you used 2 types of flour- bread flour and whole wheat flour.
waiting for your reply.
Hi Tanuja! See my note above under “substitutions” to recommendations. You can use all purpose (plain flour). I hope you love this recipe!
Followed the directions exactly and they came out AMAZING!!
As always, all your recipes that I have tried are crowd pleasers and I have never had a bad reciepe of yours ❤️.
Thanks so much!!
Thank you, Karin! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Saw this video and thought…”there is no way it’s that easy!” Followed your recipe exactly (except used all purpose flour and Einkorn for the wheat) and they came out absolutely AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for giving me inspiration to learn something new!
That’s great to hear, Christy! Thank you for trying my recipe.
You are my go to for any type of recipe, but when it comes to baking items like these muffins, would it be possible to provide weight measurements, too? We all know that what you end up with, lets say flour, can be much different when just measured vs. weighed. I need all the help in the kitchen I can get! THANKS!
Thank you to your feedback and suggestion and for being a part of the Natashas Kitchen family! I’m so thrilled to be your go-to for recipes. I totally hear you on the baking precision – you’re absolutely right! If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help. I hope this helps.
Every single one of your recipes is amazing, creative and abdolutely delicious! Thank you❣️
Thank you, Judy! I’m happy to hear that!
I plan to make these tomorrow but I will substitute olive oil for the butter. For those of us on low fat/low cholesterol diets I am hoping these English muffins will be just as good without the butter.
I hope you love this recipe, Cheri!
My goal is to make more of our bread products at home this year and this recipe was such a great substitute for storebought! Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Rebecca!
I had no idea these were THIS easy to make! I won’t buy from the store again, thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sheila!
Wow, these look just like the real deal. I appreciate your blog so much, giving viewers access to the ‘how to’ mysteries behind many store bought foods that we love. I so agree that, ‘Home made is better!!’ Bon Courage et merci,
Heidi
Hi Heidi! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog. Thank you for the feedback!
I’m so happy that the dough is easy to work with, the muffins turned out to be fluffy and delicious.Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
That’s great to hear, Maria! Thank you!
I like to measure my flour by weight. What would be the equivalent flour in grams?
Hi Kathy! You can click on “metric” in the recipe card for the conversions.
Perfect! Thank you so much!! I didn’t realize that was there! I missed it! So helpful!!
These did not disappoint! Should have tripled the recipe to make breakfast sandwiches the next day. My 7 year old ate like 3 🥹 said they’re dangerous to make before you can eat them all.
I followed it exactly.
But we cut into some before they cooled and added butter, it melted soooo good mmmmmmmmmmm😋
Thanks for perfecting the recipe for us Natasha!
We did say you will never buy store bought again! I’m so happy you loved these English Muffins, Kate!
What kind of oil do you use for the bowl and to brush onto the parchment paper? Olive oil? Canola oil?
Hi Janet, I used extra light olive oil. Any neutral tasting oil would work and Canola oil is fine.
My husband loves sourdough muffins every morning. Do you have a sourdough recipe? How would it be used in a muffin? Thank you. I love all your videos. I’ve learned so much.
HI Linda, I have tested these as sourdough English muffins and it worked great. Here’s what I did: Add 1/2 cup active starter (100 grams) and use 1 1/4 cups milk and everything else stayed the same.
Delish! And very easy to prepare!! Love the simple ingredients!! Thank you Natasha!!
You’re very welcome, Mary!
These are on my baking list for the weekend. Great directions. My only comment is that you referred to them as ‘toasted crumpets. Crumpets are a whole different thing. Maybe you would like to do a separate lesson on them.