Homemade English Muffins Recipe - Budget Bytes (2024)

I’m an English Muffin fanatic. They’re complete breakfast heaven to me, especially when turned into a breakfast egg sandwich. I vaguely remember baking my first batch eight or nine years ago and as far as I remember, they turned out pretty good. So, now that I have time and space to do some baking again, Homemade English Muffins were on the top of my list.

Homemade English Muffins Recipe - Budget Bytes (1)

Recipe Inspiration and Adjustments

After looking at a good 20+ recipes, I decided to work off of this one on allrecipes.com. After reading a bunch of reviews, I made a few changes.

It seems that there are two keys to getting an English Muffin with the classic “nooks and crannies” they are famous for. First, make sure the dough stays soft and loose. This means not adding too much flour during the kneading process and kneading for a shorter length of time (about 5 minutes). Second, letting the dough rise only once (as opposed to the usual two for most breads) allows giant gas bubbles, rather than small uniform bubbles, to form. The muffins turned out nice and light with a decent amount of nooks and crannies. There weren’t enormous pockets like the store bought muffins but I’m willing to trade some of that for a muffin that only costs seven cents (and is pretty fun to make).

Serving Suggestions

English muffins are great for more than just eating toasted with butter and jam! I also love to make mini-pizzas with them, or my make-ahead breakfast sandwiches. I also love to smear them with a little hummus and add a fried egg for a different sort of savory breakfast sandwich.

How to Store English Muffins

After baking your English Muffins, make sure to let them cool completely. Once they are cooled, you can either freeze or refrigerate them. When refrigerated they’ll keep for about a week. If frozen, they’ll keep for months. When freezing, make sure to use a heavy duty freezer bag to keep air out and prevent the muffins from drying out. They should thaw quickly at room temperature, or if pre-sliced, can go straight from the freezer to the toaster.

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Love making homemade bread? Check out our Bread Recipes category!

Homemade English Muffins Recipe

4.69 from 35 votes

Homemade English muffins are fun to make, delicious, and cost just pennies each. Make this your next weekend project!

Homemade English Muffins Recipe - Budget Bytes (3)

Homemade English Muffins Recipe - Budget Bytes (4) Servings 12

Prep 2 hours hrs

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  • 1 tsp active dry yeast ($0.10)
  • 1 Tbsp sugar, divided ($0.05)
  • 1/2 cup warm water ($0.00)
  • 1/2 cup milk ($0.15)
  • 2 Tbsp butter ($0.27)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided ($0.36)
  • 3/4 tsp salt ($0.05)
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal ($0.06)

Instructions

  • Dissolve the yeast and half of the sugar into 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, and let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until it has developed a thick foam on top.

  • While waiting for the yeast, combine the milk, butter, and the rest of the sugar in a measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir until the butter is dissolved. Add an additional 10 seconds if needed. You want the milk warm enough to melt the butter, but not scalding.

  • Once the yeast is foamy, pour the milk and butter mixture into the bowl, along with 1 cup of the flour, and the salt. Stir until the mixture is mostly smooth. Add the second cup of flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring to combine each time. Finally, begin to add the third cup of flour, 1/3 cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon. At that point, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, dusting with small amounts of flour as you go. Once finished kneading, you should have used 2.5-3 cups flour total.

  • Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter or sharp edged drinking glass to cut several discs out of the rolled dough. Cut them as close to each other as possible to leave few scraps. When you can cut no more circles, ball the scrap dough up, flatten it once again, and cut a few more. Place the cut muffins on a baking sheet coated with a liberal layer of cornmeal.

  • Let the muffins rise in a warm moist area for about 1.5 hours, or until they are slightly more than double the size. (I placed a casserole dish full of steaming water on the bottom rack of my oven and placed the baking sheet on the top rack to keep the muffins moist as they rose.)

  • When the muffins are large and fluffy, it’s time to cook them in a skillet. Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Once the skillet is preheated, carefully use a spatula to lift 3-4 muffins from the baking sheet and slide them into the skillet, along with some cornmeal. Let the muffins cook 3-4 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip the muffins and cook for 3-4 minutes on the second side. The muffins will puff further as they cook in the skillet. Once the muffins are golden on both sides and sound hollow when tapped, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

  • Once completely cool, split the muffins with a fork and toast in a toaster or the oven. Or, transfer the cooled muffins to an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, or the freezer for up to three months.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 28.09gProtein: 3.94gFat: 2.64gSodium: 168.75mgFiber: 1.06g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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Scroll down for the step by step photos!

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How to Make Homemade English Muffins – Step By Step Photos

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Begin by combining 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp yeast and 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Stir to dissolve, then let them sit until a thick layer of foam develops on top.

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While waiting for the yeast to foam, combine 1/2 cup milk, 2 Tbsp butter, and the second 1/2 Tbsp sugar in a measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until the butter melts. You can do an additional 10 seconds in the microwave, if needed, but try to get the milk just warm enough to melt the butter, not scalding.

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Once the yeast is foamy, pour in the milk mixture, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 tsp salt. Stir until the mixture is mostly smooth.

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Stir in a second cup of flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until incorporated before adding more.

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Finally, begin to add a third cup of flour, again a small amount at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon. At that point, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as you go. Only add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, as adding too much can cause the dough to get stiff.

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After kneading, you should have used somewhere between 2.5 to 3 cups flour. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

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Roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness, then use a cookie cutter or sharp-edged glass to cut as many circles into the dough as possible. Cut the circles close to each other to leave as little scrap dough as possible. Gather up the scraps, form them into a ball, press the dough out once more, then cut a few more circles.

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Cover a baking sheet liberally with cornmeal (this is 1/4 cup of cornmeal spread out on a large baking sheet). Arrange the muffins on the cornmeal, pressing one side into the corn meal, then flipping them over and pressing again, making sure there is plenty of cornmeal under each one to prevent it from sticking as they rise.

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For reference, here is a side view so you can see how thin they are. Let the muffins rise in a warm, moist area for about 1.5 hours or until they’re slightly larger than double their size. I put a casserole dish with steaming water on the bottom shelf of my oven and placed the baking sheet with the muffins on the top rack (oven turned off) to create a nice warm environment for them to rise.

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The Muffins should be very large, fluffy, and delicate after rising. Make sure they’re not touching each other because pulling them apart could cause them to deflate.

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Once risen, it’s time to cook them in a skillet. Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low. Once preheated, use a spatula to carefully lift a few of the muffins off the baking sheet and onto the skillet, along with some of the cornmeal. Cook on each side until golden brown (3-4 minutes per side). The cornmeal will keep the muffins from sticking (the cornmeal in the skillet in the photo above is after 3-4 batches, each batch adding more to the skillet). The muffins will puff even further in the hot skillet.

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Transfer the cooked English Muffins to a wire rack to cool.

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Once cool, either split with a fork and toast, or transfer to an air-tight container (like a gallon-sized freezer bag) to store in the refrigerator or freezer.

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These Homemade English muffins are absolutely to-die-for with butter and jam! Light and fluffy, with very crispy edges and crunchy cornmeal bottoms!

Homemade English Muffins Recipe - Budget Bytes (2024)

FAQs

What to use instead of cornmeal on English Muffins? ›

Saffitz says any type of cornmeal works—so use whatever you keep on hand—but you should note that the more coarse it is, the more crunch it will provide to the muffins' surface in the end. If you don't keep cornmeal around but do happen to have semolina, it's a good alternative.

What is the formula for muffins? ›

The Muffin Ratio: 2:2:1:1, flour to liquid to fat to eggs. The magic ratio for muffins in 2:2:1:1. This means 2 parts flour to 2 parts liquid to 1 part fat to 1 part eggs. The really important part is remembering to use the same unit of weight for each part!

Can you freeze homemade English Muffins? ›

After baking your English Muffins, make sure to let them cool completely. Once they are cooled, you can either freeze or refrigerate them. When refrigerated they'll keep for about a week. If frozen, they'll keep for months.

Can I use cornstarch instead of cornmeal? ›

Although they come from the same plant, cornmeal and cornstarch have distinct properties and purposes in the kitchen, so you unfortunately can't substitute cornmeal for cornstarch. One of the best substitutes for cornmeal is semolina, a protein-rich durum wheat flour with a similar texture.

Can I use corn flour instead of cornmeal in muffins? ›

Corn flour and cornmeal can be used interchangeably in recipes, but know that using one for the other will yield a slightly different result. For example, if you're making pancakes or muffins, using cornmeal in place of corn flour will give them a grittier texture.

What is the best kind of flour to use for muffins? ›

You can use either all-purpose flour or pastry flour; all-purpose flour gives you a sturdier muffin while a pastry flour muffin will be lighter and more delicate.

What is the secret to making moist muffins? ›

How to Make Homemade Muffins Moist: Our Top Tips
  1. Tips to Make Homemade Muffins Moist.
  2. Keep Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately.
  3. Add All Flavorings Last.
  4. Consider Paper Liners.
  5. Don't Overfill the Muffin Cups.
  6. Check the Temperature of Your Oven.
  7. Test if Muffins Are Fully Cooked.
  8. Top Your Muffins with Flavor.
Aug 9, 2021

What ingredient prevents muffins from falling apart? ›

How do you keep muffins from falling apart? It's gluten. See, to a baker, gluten holds the whole world together.

Why do English muffins stay fresh so long? ›

Store-bought muffins like Bays English Muffins or Thomas English Muffins, have a long shelf life due to preservatives, but they will still expire after a while. If you have stored your English Muffins in the refrigerator or freezer, they will last beyond their sell-by date as discussed above.

What are the crumbs on the bottom of English muffins? ›

The small white particles on the bottom of Thomas'® English Muffins are farina. Farina is a cereal food, frequently described as mild-tasting, usually served warm, made from cereal grains. This is used to prevent the doughball from sticking to the oven plate and also to give the product its unique taste.

Do you cut English muffins in half before toasting? ›

To get the full effect of those nooks and crannies, avoid cutting an English muffin in half with a knife. Instead, poke a fork around the edges until it pulls apart easily.

What is the healthiest English muffin? ›

The healthiest English muffins are whole grain English muffins. Whole grain English muffins contain only around 130 calories per serving and also have several important nutrients such as B-vitamins, manganese, and selenium.

Are English muffins healthier than bread? ›

A. English muffins are slightly healthier than bread because they include fewer calories, carbohydrates, fats, and sugar than bread. However, both have a high carbohydrate content, which can offer energy throughout the day, and many nutrients.

What are English muffins called in England? ›

English muffins are usually referred to simply as muffins in the UK; sweet American-style muffins are occasionally referred to as American muffins to differentiate. They are usually consumed with tea or coffee, and sometimes feature in afternoon tea served in UK hotels.

Why do English muffins have cornmeal on them? ›

Skipping the cornmeal

This layer helps prevent the muffins from sticking when they get cooked on the griddle. Because there is a generous sprinkling of semolina between the sticky dough and the griddle, the dough can have a higher water content, which contributes to those signature nooks and crannies.

Can you substitute anything for cornmeal? ›

Corn Grits

Yellow Corn grits are the best substitute for cornmeal. Cornmeal and yellow corn grits are made from the same process and ingredient, and the only difference is corn grits isn't as refined. Use the most refined yellow corn grits available for the best results.

What are you supposed to put on an English muffin? ›

There are so many ways to enjoy English muffins. They're not just for breakfast; they're perfect any time of day!
  • Serve with your favorite spread such as jam or peanut butter.
  • Use instead of hamburger buns next time you make burgers.
  • Use them as a side of garlic bread on pasta night.

What is the English equivalent of cornmeal? ›

Types of Cornmeal

Finely ground cornmeal is sometimes labeled as corn flour, but British recipes that call for “cornflour” actually refer to cornstarch, which is not milled from the whole corn kernel. Masa harina is cornmeal made from corn kernels that have been cooked in limewater first.

References

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