Full of nooks and crannies (for collecting butter…mmmm), this easy and quick homemade English muffin recipe is made with a batter, like pancakes on a griddle and finished in the oven.
How to Make English Muffins
Are you looking for an English muffin recipe with lots of nooks and crannies? Try these amazing English muffins – seriously amazing! Easy to make too! After mixing the batter, you will let it sit covered for 30 minutes and then you are ready to put them on the griddle.
I’d been interested in making English muffins for a while now, and just never got around to it. Many of the recipes that I saw did not show crumb shots (ie, the inside of the muffin) and those that did showed a bread-like interior that wasn’t what I was hoping to duplicate. This recipe is a winner!
I knew that the dough I was shooting for would have to be very very wet to get those holes inside. To make things simple, I opted to use 3-inch English muffin rings (or egg rings), but you can also use round cookie cutters, or biscuit cutters, or you can make them free-form (they will be oddly shaped, but still delicious)!
These English muffins are great with some jam, or just a pat of butter. Make breakfast sandwiches. I’m also looking forward to making some Eggs Benedict with them…mmmm!
By the way, if you want to get the nooks and crannies, make sure that you split them open with a fork, not a knife!!
Ingredients for Making
- The ingredients for these English muffins include water, flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, and milk powder (also cornmeal for dusting the griddle).
- You can substitute real milk for milk powder (see note in recipe); we are not regular milk drinkers so it’s much more convenient to keep dried milk on hand, which is great for baking breads.
Brief Overview of Process
- Combine dried yeast with sugar and ⅓ cup of warm water
- Combine the milk powder with sugar, salt, butter, and hot water. Mix and set aside until cooled
- Combine yeast mixture with milk powder mixture.
- Prepare griddle by heating it up (low-medium temp) and sprinkling with cornmeal just before you are ready to pour your batter (use 3-inch rings if you have them). Otherwise, free form is fine
- Scoop about ¼ cup onto griddle for each muffin.
- Sprinkle top of the batter with cornmeal and then cover with a baking tray (only if you are using the rings).
- Grill for about 2 or 3 minutes on each side and then transfer to oven (325 degrees) for 10 minutes to finish.
Top Tips for Making Homemade English Muffins
- Split these muffins with a fork, not a knife, in order to get the most nooks and crannies.
- The center of the muffin should register 200 degrees when finished (using an instant read thermometer).
- You can use an electric griddle, stovetop griddle, frying pan, (anything with a wide flat surface) to cook these.
- Make sure to sprinkle the griddle/pan generously with fine cornmeal (you can also use semolina or farina.)
- If the cooking surface isn’t non-stick, make sure to spray it with vegetable oil spray (before adding the cornmeal).
- Check the bottoms after 2 minutes or so using a spatula to make sure your temperature isn’t too high and you’re not burning your English muffins.
- Instead of finishing these in oven, the English muffins can be completely cooked on griddle or stove-top by cooking longer on each side (I find it easier to lightly brown them on each side and finish in the oven).
- These freeze well – freeze leftovers in sealed plastic bag or container for up to one month.
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Homemade English Muffins
Full of nooks and crannies (for collecting butter…mmmm), this easy and quick homemade English muffin recipe is made with a batter, like pancakes on a griddle and finished in the oven.
Ingredients
Mixture 1
- ½ cup (34.5 g) non-fat powdered milk (see notes for substituting with milk)
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter (or shortening)
- 1 cup (250 g) hot water
Mixture 2
- 2 ¼ tsp (10 g) instant dry yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (83.33 g) warm water
To Make the Dough
- All mixture 1 and mixture 2
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour plus more for flouring English muffin tins
To Cook the English Muffins
- Non-stick vegetable spray
- Cornmeal for dusting griddle or semolina or farina
- 3- inch (3- inch) metal rings not necessary but will make them easier to shape; can also use round cookie cutters or biscuit cutters that are about 3 inches in diameter
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for mixture 1: the milk powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, shortening, and hot water and then set aside until cooled
- In a small bowl, combine ingredients for mixture 2: add the yeast, ⅛ teaspoon sugar, and warm water and stir to combine
- After about 5 minutes, combine mixture 1 and mixture 2, ensuring that the mixture 1 has cooled sufficiently (if it is still hot, the yeast in the second mixture could be killed off)
- Beat the dough until well combined, cover bowl with clean towel, and set aside for 30 minutes
- In the meantime, grease and flour your muffin rings (I used cooking spray and then dipped each ring into flour and shook the extra off)
- Preheat griddle at low-medium heat (250 to 300 degrees) and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Sprinkle cornmeal (or semolina or farina) on top of griddle (grease first if it isn't nonstick), then set the muffin rings on top if using
- Fill each ring with about ¼ cup of batter, sprinkle tops with more cornmeal, and then cover the rings with a flat try or inverted baking pan
- Cook on griddle at low-medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes per side and then transfer to a baking sheet, place in oven, and finish baking for 10 additional minutes
- Alternatively, you can cook completely on stovetop/grill by cooking over medium heat [350 degrees] for 5 to 6 minutes per side and then flip to other side. (they are a bit more prone to burning without using the oven step, so take care to check carefully at 2 minute intervals).
- Do not use a knife to cut these open – use a fork to carefully open each one to get those nooks and crannies
Notes
- If using metal rings, do not overfill them or they will stick to the top tray you use to cover them when baking/cooking.
- You may substitute milk for milk powder by eliminating all water from recipe and using warmed milk instead.
- Split these muffins with a fork, not a knife, in order to get the most nooks and crannies.
- The center of the muffin should register 200 degrees when finished (using an instant read thermometer).
- You can use an electric griddle, stovetop griddle, frying pan, (anything with a wide flat surface) to cook these.
- Make sure to sprinkle the griddle/pan generously with fine cornmeal (you can also use semolina or farina.)
- If the cooking surface isn’t non-stick, make sure to spray it with vegetable oil spray (before adding the cornmeal).
- Check the bottoms after 2 minutes or so using a spatula to make sure your temperature isn’t too high and you’re not burning your English muffins.
- Instead of finishing these in oven, the English muffins can be completely cooked on griddle or stove-top by cooking longer on each side (I find it easier to lightly brown them on each side and finish in the oven).
- These freeze well – freeze leftovers in sealed plastic bag or container for up to one month.
- flour, 240 grams (100%)
- water, 283.6 grams (128%)
- milk powder, 34.5 grams (14%)
- butter, 14 grams (5.8%)
- sugar, 12.5 grams (5.2%)
- yeast, 10 grams (4.2%)
- salt, 6 grams (2.5%)
- Total = 624 grams (259.7%)
Nutrition
Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 8gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 348mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 218IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 2mg
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Recipe first published in 2014; updated in 2020 with improved photos, step by step and ingredient photos, and tips for making.
rebecca shumway says
These were really good! But how in the world do you flip them without the dough going everywhere? I used egg rings and it ended up being a mess, with half deflated muffins 🙁
Marie says
I’ve never experienced that 🙁 My guess is the you need to cook them longer before flipping (think of over easy eggs – if you flip too soon, they will fall apart). If you find the bottom is getting too dark lower the heat and cook/grill longer before flipping. Hope that helps!
Becky says
Can the dough be made the night before?
Marie says
I haven’t tried but it’s a good idea. If you don’t want to risk it I’d prep everything except don’t add yeast to mixture 2 and then go from there…
Helen Ross says
These were so easy and looked just as pictured full of bubbles and holes. So much better than store bought!!!