Easy Homemade English Muffins
User Reviews
4.7
Easy Homemade English Muffins
Description
The recipe uses warm milk or buttermilk to activate yeast, adding a subtle tang if buttermilk is used. Melted butter, salt, sugar, and instant yeast are mixed into the milk, then combined with a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours to create a soft batter. The addition of cornmeal prevents sticking and contributes to the muffins' distinctive texture.
The batter is portioned onto parchment-lined, cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheets in mounds, then gently shaped into rounds and flipped to coat both sides. The muffins rise until puffy, then are cooked on a griddle over low heat to prevent drying out, and optionally finished baking in the oven to set the muffins fully without overcooking.
Substitutions and recipe tips include using active dry yeast instead of instant, swapping flours with appropriate adjustments, and carefully controlling cooking time and heat to achieve a tender crumb. The method yields homemade muffins that replicate store-bought ones' texture and flavor, suitable for toasting and topping with butter or jam.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups milk see note, warm or buttermilk (see note
- 3 tablespoons butter melted, salted
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour see note
- ½ cup cornmeal
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, and yeast.
- Stir in the flour and mix until well-combined and no dry streaks remain. The batter will be very soft - you can kind of lift it up in a doughy ribbon with a spatula.
- Cover and let the batter rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled, 1-2 hours.
- Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and liberally sprinkle cornmeal over the parchment paper. This will prevent the English muffin dough from sticking.
- Using a large cookie scoop or two greased spoons, scoop out about 6 tablespoons/2.5 ounces of batter and place in mounds on the prepared baking sheets. *You can make the English muffins larger or smaller depending on preference.* They'll look a little messy at this point; that's ok.
- Lightly grease your hands and take each mound of batter and flip it over in your hands so it is cornmeal-side up. Gently shape the dough into a mostly smooth round disc and set it back on the baking sheet (sprinkle more cornmeal on the parchment paper, if needed). Space the muffins several inches apart to leave room for rising.
- Cover the baking sheets and let the muffins rise until noticeably puffy, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degres F.
- Preheat a griddle to about 325-350 degrees (can also us a skillet on the stove over medium-low or medium heat). Gently pick up the puffy English muffins so they don't totally deflate, and place them on the hot griddle.
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side. Adjust the heat if the English muffins are burning or overly browning. They'll finish cooking all the way through in the oven.
- Transfer the English muffins to a clean (no cornmeal) parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes until no longer doughy in the center.
- Let cool completely (if you can!) before splitting, toasting, and eating.
Notes
- Using buttermilk gives a light tang and softer texture; regular milk works too.
- Instant yeast is recommended but you can substitute active dry yeast with pre-proofing.
- White whole wheat or ancient grain flours improve results over standard whole wheat.
- Cook muffins on a griddle over low heat to avoid drying out and finish baking in oven if needed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 14Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Muffin | |
| Calories | 174kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 285mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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