Homemade English Muffins from Scratch Recipe
This homemade English muffin recipe produces soft, lightly toasted muffins with a wonderfully airy texture, perfect for breakfast sandwiches or simply topped with butter and jam. The dough is made with warm water, sugar, instant yeast, oil, flour, salt, and cornmeal for dusting, then dry-fried on the stovetop for a delicious golden crust.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 English muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (warm to touch on wrist)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (12.5 g)
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast (2.83 g), e.g. rapid-rise yeast
Dough
- 2 tablespoons oil (canola, vegetable, neutral olive oil or melted butter)
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus up to ¼ cup extra for kneading
- 1 teaspoon salt (add extra pinch if using kosher salt)
For Cooking
- Cornmeal for dusting (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- Oil spray for pan
Instructions
- Make Yeast Mixture: In a medium-large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and instant yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes until it foams and clouds, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make Dough: Add oil, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture bowl. Stir until combined with a spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour gradually until dough is soft but no longer sticky.
- Let Dough Rise: Lightly oil a medium-large bowl, place the dough inside, cover loosely, and let it rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. To speed rising, put the bowl near a warm oven.
- Form Dough Into Muffins: Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times, then divide into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten to about ¾ inch thickness. Sprinkle a baking sheet lined with parchment with cornmeal, place dough discs on it, sprinkle tops with cornmeal, lightly spray with oil, and cover with a towel to puff for 20 minutes.
- Dry Fry Muffins: Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium-low heat and lightly oil it. Place muffins with ½ inch space between them. Cover and cook for 9 minutes until golden brown, flip, cover, and cook 5 more minutes until done. Adjust heat if browning is too slow or fast. Muffins are done when an instant-read thermometer reads 200°F (93°C).
- Cool and Serve: Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before eating. Use a fork to split for best texture.
Notes
- If you don’t have instant yeast, substitute with 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast.
- For denser muffins, press them down gently while cooking and leave uncovered to cook longer.
- Check yeast freshness for proper rising.
- Measure flour by weight or spoon and level for accuracy.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons honey or spices for flavor variations.
- Store baked muffins in a sealed container at room temperature for several days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Split muffins with a fork rather than a knife to create nooks and crannies for butter or toppings.
Keywords: English muffins, homemade bread, breakfast bread, yeast bread, pan-fried muffins
