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English Muffins from scratch have all those craggy nooks and crannies that drink up melted butter, and they taste so much fresher than the grocery-store kind. I made a double batch one snowy morning and Maddie declared they were officially better than the bagged ones. Split and toast one for a homemade breakfast McMuffin.
They take a little patience while the dough rises, but the hands-on time is short and the payoff is huge.
English Muffins Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 muffins
- ⚡ Calories: 147kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, chewy, and lightly tangy with a cornmeal-dusted crust
- ✋ Difficulty: Beginner friendly, a fun first yeast bake like our dinner rolls
Quick Answer
Bloom yeast in warm water and sugar, then mix it with warmed milk, honey, and melted butter into flour and salt to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth, let it rise twice, then roll it out and cut rounds. Proof the rounds on a cornmeal-dusted tray, then cook them low and slow in a covered skillet about 6 minutes per side until golden. Split, toast, and butter for those signature nooks and crannies.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cooked on the stovetop, not baked. Real English muffins are griddled in a skillet, which gives them their flat shape and chewy, tender crumb.
- A wet, soft dough. Keeping the dough soft and slightly sticky is what creates all those nooks and crannies that hold the butter.
- Two rises for flavor. Letting the dough rise twice develops a deeper, slightly tangy flavor and a lighter texture.
- Cornmeal dusting. A generous sprinkle of cornmeal gives the classic gritty, golden crust and keeps the muffins from sticking.
- Low and slow in the pan. Cooking over medium-low, covered, lets the inside cook through before the outside burns.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste fresher and chewier than anything from a bag.
- They freeze and toast back up perfectly for easy weekday breakfasts.
- They make the ultimate base for a homemade sausage egg and cheese McMuffin on a slow weekend morning.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples turn into bakery-style muffins. Here is what you will need.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structure of the muffin; added in stages so the dough stays soft.
- Active Dry Yeast: Gives the muffins their rise and that classic chewy texture.
- Milk and Honey: Add richness and a touch of natural sweetness to the dough.
- Butter: Keeps the crumb tender and adds flavor.
- Cornmeal: Dusted on the outside for the signature gritty, golden crust.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
A few easy ways to make this recipe your own.
- Whole wheat: swap up to half the flour for whole wheat for a nuttier, heartier muffin.
- Sourdough-ish tang: let the dough rise overnight in the fridge for a deeper, slightly tangy flavor.
- Cinnamon raisin: knead in a handful of raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon for a sweet morning treat.
- Bigger or smaller: use a larger or smaller cutter to make sandwich-size or slider-size muffins.
- Extra crannies: poke the proofed rounds a few times with a fork before cooking.
How to Make English Muffins
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let it stand about 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together half of the flour and the salt. Stir the milk, honey, and melted butter together, then pour the yeast mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Add the remaining flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead about 8 minutes until smooth. Let it rise covered until doubled, punch it down, and let it rise again.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it to about one-half to three-quarters inch thick.
- Cut out rounds with a 3-inch cutter, re-rolling the scraps. Place them on a cornmeal-dusted tray, cover, and let them double in size.
- Cook on a lightly greased skillet over medium-low heat, covered, about 6 minutes per side until golden brown. Cool, then split and toast to serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Temp your liquids. Keep the water and milk around 110 degrees Fahrenheit; too hot will kill the yeast and too cool will not activate it.
- Split with a fork. Pierce around the edge with a fork and pull apart by hand to keep those craggy nooks instead of slicing them flat.
- Want all those nooks and crannies? Keep the dough on the wetter, stickier side and do not over-knead; that loose crumb is what traps the butter.
- Do not crowd the pan. Cook in batches so each muffin has room and cooks evenly.
- Be patient with the rise. A warm spot and full rise time give you light, airy muffins instead of dense ones.
- Freeze for later. Cool completely, then freeze in a bag and toast straight from frozen.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Split them with a fork (never a knife) to keep those signature nooks and crannies, toast until golden, and slather with butter and jam. They are the heart of a great breakfast McMuffin.
Build a brunch spread with a pan of overnight breakfast casserole, some homemade breakfast sausage, and a bowl of creamy buttery grits.
Leftover muffins freeze beautifully, so stash a batch and pop them straight in the toaster any busy morning.
English Muffins FAQs
Usually it means the yeast was not active or the dough did not rise long enough. Make sure your liquids are around 110 degrees Fahrenheit and give the dough a full rise both times until doubled.
Cornmeal gives the classic gritty crust and keeps the muffins from sticking, but you can use a little flour or semolina instead in a pinch.
Yes. After the first rise, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight. Let it come to room temperature, then continue rolling, cutting, and cooking the next day.
English muffins are traditionally griddled, which gives them their flat top and bottom and signature chewy interior. The stovetop is the secret to authentic ones.
Keep the dough soft and slightly wet, avoid over-kneading, and poke the proofed rounds with a fork before cooking to encourage that open, craggy crumb.
Store them at room temperature in an airtight bag for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Toast to refresh them before serving.
Love baking your own bread? Try our soft homemade dinner rolls next.
For a sweeter morning bake, try our from scratch cinnamon rolls recipe.
When you want a laminated pastry challenge, bake our homemade cruffins.
For a quicker savory bake, our pepper jack cheese muffins are done in half an hour.
Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup warm water 110°F
- 3 cups all-purpose flour divided
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cornmeal
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, and water. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together half of the flour and salt, set aside.
- In another small bowl, stir together the milk, honey, and butter. Microwave in 15-second intervals until the butter is melted, stir everything together until combined. Let cool until it reaches 110°F.
- Slowly pour the yeast mixture, followed by the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, then add the remaining flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 8 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Add more flour if it is too sticky to knead.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray as well. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down, cover in plastic wrap and let it sit again until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough again and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Roll the dough out until it is ½-¾ inch thick.
- Using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Ball up the remaining dough and roll it out again to cut more muffins out of it. Continue until all of the dough is used.
- Generously sprinkle a sheet tray with cornmeal. Place the muffins onto the sheet tray and cover with a damp towel. Allow to double in size.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-low and spray lightly with cooking spray. Carefully transfer the muffins to the pan, I like to use a spatula because you want to be careful so they don’t deflate. Do not crowd the pan, you will need to do this step in batches.
- Cover and cook for 6 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, flip the muffins, cover again and cook 3-4 more minutes until the bottoms are browned. Transfer to a plate while you cook the remaining muffins.
- Let cool and serve.
Notes
- While these do toast on the outside in the pan, you can toast these more in the toaster to toast the inside or also split and do in pan.
- The cornmeal is necessary, do not try to make without.
- Active dry yeast is what you need, do not use instant.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Top with any of your favorite toppings.
- Double this recipe to keep more for later.
Nutrition
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