English Muffins

There’s something quietly satisfying about making your own English muffins at home. Fluffy and soft inside, with a golden, crisp surface, these muffins are a simple treat that feel a bit special. You don’t need an oven or special equipment, just a pan and a little patience.

This recipe is approachable for anyone, even if you’ve never made bread before. The dough comes together quickly and rises in about an hour, so you won’t be waiting all day. Whether you enjoy these English muffins fresh from the saucepan, toasted with butter, homemade jam, made into a sandwich or alongside your favourite meal, they have a comforting homemade quality that store-bought just can’t match.

If you’ve ever thought about trying to make English muffins yourself, now’s the perfect time. With straightforward steps and simple ingredients, you can bring fresh, homemade muffins to your kitchen table, and trust me, once you try them, you won’t want to go back!

Main Ingredients You’ll Need to Make English Muffins

Flour

Use strong white bread flour if switch to spelt or wholemeal bread flour if you prefer.

Milk

I use dairy but oat milk will work well too if you’re diary free.

salt

Fine sea salt is best.

fast-action yeast

Using fast-action yeast means a shorter rise time.

English Muffin Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 tsp of salt. Gradually pour in the warm milk, using your hands to mix until a soft dough forms.
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until it becomes smooth. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook if you prefer.
3. Roll the dough out to about 1cm thick. Use a 7.5cm round cutter to cut out circles, gathering and re-rolling any leftover dough to get about 8 muffins.
4. Place the dough rounds on a baking tray dusted with semolina or plain flour. Sprinkle the tops with a little more semolina (or plain flour), cover loosely with a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for around 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the muffins in batches for about 5-6 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. If they start browning too fast, reduce the heat to ensure the centres cook properly. If your crusts start browning too quickly you can put them in the oven on 180°C for 4-5 minutes to finish off cooking in the middle.
6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These muffins are best served warm, but once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

English Muffins

These classic English muffins are soft, golden, and cooked entirely on the stovetop. Perfect for toasting, splitting, or layering with sweet or savoury toppings. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have beautifully fluffy muffins that are miles better than store-bought.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Proof Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Breakfast

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 450 g (3 2/3 cups) White Bread Flour
• 1 tsp Caster Sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp Fast action dried yeast
• 280 ml Milk
• semolina or four for dusting

Equipment

• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 1 Rollling pin
• 1 Digital scales
• 1 7.5cm round cutter
• 1 Baking tray
• 1 Clean tea towel
• 1 Heavy based frying pan
• 1 Wire rack
• 1 Stand mixer with dough hook optional

Method

 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 tsp of salt. Gradually pour in the milk, using your hands to mix until a soft dough forms.
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook if you prefer
3. Roll the dough out to about 1cm thick. Use a 7.5cm round cutter to cut out circles, gathering and re-rolling any leftover dough to get about 8 muffins
4. Place the dough rounds on a baking tray dusted with semolina (or flour). Sprinkle the tops with a little more semolina (or flour), cover loosely with a clean tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for around 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Cook the muffins in batches for about 5-6 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. If they start browning too fast, reduce the heat to ensure the centres cook properly. If they brown too much and not quite cooked all the way through, put in oven for 4-5 mins on 180°C to finish cooking them through.
6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These muffins are best served warm, but once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Make it vegan: Swap the milk for a plant-based alternative like oat or soy milk.

Don’t have semolina? Use plain flour or fine cornmeal for dusting instead. They’ll still prevent sticking and give a good texture.

Flour tips: Strong white flour (bread flour) gives the best texture, but plain (all-purpose) flour will work in a pinch, the muffins may be slightly softer.

Freezing: Once cooked and cooled, English muffins freeze well. Split and toast straight from frozen.