This homemade english muffin recipe will blow any store-bought English muffin out of the water, guaranteed.
I started making English muffins at home when we were living in Beijing, and I couldn’t buy them locally. And you know what? Now that we’re all back in the U.S.A, and once again have the luxury of buying English muffins at any old grocery store, I’m STILL making these from scratch.
Because:
- They’re insanely delicious. More delicious than any English muffin you’ve tasted.
- They’re really easy to make. No oven required!
Note: This recipe was originally published on September 28, 2013. We have since updated it with more information, new photos, clearer instructions, and nutrition info. Enjoy!
A Special Treat
I’ll admit that I don’t make these super often. Not because they’re hard to make, but because when I do, I WILL sit there and eat four in a row, toasted and slathered with butter and jam.
In fact, that’s exactly what happened this past weekend, when I decided to re-photograph this classic English muffin recipe we first documented in September 2013.
My personal carb overload issues aside, we always come back to this recipe whenever we want to serve a special treat for guests (Sunday brunch, anyone?). They’re great to make during the holidays/colder months, but they’re also great even in summer. Because you don’t have to turn on a hot oven to bake them. You just cook them in a pan on the stove!
This recipe makes about 12-15 muffins, depending on size. The perfect amount for a weekend party or to share with family throughout the week.
Better Than Store-bought
I can sense some of you shaking your head at your screen. You’re either thinking you’ll never put the time in to make homemade English muffins when you could just buy them… OR you’re thinking that you don’t even really LIKE English muffins all that much.
This is the recipe that will change your mind!
Before this recipe, I’d never been a huge fan of English muffins––the ones that come in plastic bags and taste like they’ve been sitting in that bag for way too long. But while living in China, I had a hankering for Eggs Benedict, realized I couldn’t find English muffins anywhere (problems of the food-obsessed), and made these. It was like frolicking through a field of flowers whilst hearing a hallelujah chorus.
Trust me.
Make them. Toast them. Spread with butter (and maybe a little jam). You’ll be a convert soon enough.
Once you give this recipe a try, also try our Multigrain English muffin recipe and our Pumpkin English muffins!
English Muffin Recipe Instructions
The ingredients for this english muffin recipe are super simple: all purpose flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, yogurt, semolina/fine cornmeal, and a little oil.
Semolina flour can be found at most grocery stores these days. It’s what gives the English muffins those sandy bottoms. You can also use finely ground cornmeal.
The first step of the recipe depends on whether you’re using active dry yeast or instant yeast. You can make this recipe with either!
If using active dry yeast, add the yeast and sugar to 1 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve, and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. If using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
In a large mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour and salt. Stir to combine. Add the yogurt and activated yeast mixture (or the instant yeast along with the sugar and water).
Mix together with a fork or wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft, shaggy dough. Knead for 10 minutes, dusting your hands and the dough with a sprinkling of flour if needed (the dough will get a bit sticky as you knead it).
After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes. I’m sure it’s been a stressful day for it, having just come into existence and all. (I need to stop personifying food.)
Spread the semolina (or fine cornmeal) onto a large sheet pan. On a clean surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut out circles with a 3-inch round cutter. I just use an overturned water glass for this purpose. Easy peasy.
Take the excess dough and re-roll it to cut out more circles. (I never understand people who just throw the excess dough into the garbage. It drives me crazy. That’s food, people!) Well you’re not going to do that––you should be able to get 12-16 muffins out of it.
Place the English muffins onto the baking sheets and slide them around in the semolina. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
Heat a flat pan or cast iron skillet until hot and brush with oil. Add the English muffins and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 6 minutes per side, 12 minutes total, until firm and golden brown. Turn only once.
Keep cooking them in batches until they’re all done.
The best way to break the muffins apart is with a fork, to make sure you get great nooks and crannies. Serve toasted with butter and jam!
Do you hear the hallelujah chorus yet?
Homemade English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 envelope active dry yeast (or instant yeast; 7g or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (4g)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (235 ml)
- 3 2/3 cups all purpose flour (470g, plus more for kneading)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup semolina (or fine cornmeal, for sprinkling)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- If using active dry yeast, add the yeast and sugar to 1 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve, and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. If using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour and salt. Stir to combine. Add the yogurt and activated yeast mixture (or the instant yeast along with the sugar and water).
- Mix together with a fork or wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft, shaggy dough. Knead for 10 minutes, dusting your hands and the dough with a sprinkling of flour if needed (the dough will get a bit sticky as you knead it).
- After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Spread the semolina onto a large rimmed sheet pan.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch. Cut out circles with a 3 inch round cutter. Re-roll any excess and form more muffins. You should get 12-16 muffins total. Slide the muffins around on the semolina to ensure they don't stick to the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until almost doubled in size.
- Heat a flat griddle pan until hot and brush with oil. Add the muffins and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 12 minutes, six minutes on each side, until firm and golden brown. Turn only once.
- The best way to break the muffins apart is with a fork, to make sure you get great nooks and crannies. Serve toasted with butter and jam.
Tips & Notes:
nutrition facts
wouldn’t change a single thing. easy perfect and delicious.
Thank you, Terri!
Just made the English Muffins today. Very easy and was surprised at how well they turned out, of course, I did burn a few bottoms before I regulated the heat properly.
Glad it went well, Susan, despite a few hiccups with the heat. I seem to do that too when I’m making pancakes. That first one is always either too dark or too pale!
Wow! Easy and delicious. These are as great as everyone is saying. My only comment is that you surely don’t mean 2 T of oil for the griddle, do you? Don’t you just want a thin layer of oil and not frying them, right? I was using a black-steel frying pan for gridding them and found I needed a lower heat to keep them from getting too dark. I used an instant read thermometer to check that internal temperature got to about 200F and your times were spot on. Now to figure out how to use sourdough discard for these…
Hi Rick, yes, a thin layer of oil! The two tablespoons is meant to be stretched across separate batches! Also, my dad has made these with sourdough discard before. ;)
Sarah, I made these yesterday, and the results blew me away. These really are the best I’ve had, and I really love English muffins, and have tried them all…simple, yet terrific.
Sometimes i’m wary when an online chef touts a recipe as the best, since I’ve often been unimpressed with the result. “Best chicken soup ever” ends up being “eh, that’s fine”; but this recipe delivers. It is absolutely worth making 1000x. Thank you!!!
I will add that they do go slightly “stale” quickly—not a surprise with griddle breads!—but they toast up beautifully anyway, and freeze well. And it’s so easy, you could make them every week and never miss a beat.
Because they make so many, I am tempted to try halving the recipe.
Thanks again!!
Thank you so much for your high praise, Anthony! So glad you enjoyed these. You’re right that they do need to be toasted after the first day for best results. They do also freeze really well, so you could just store the leftovers in the freezer. :)
Any tips if I want to modify and use sourdough discard rather than yeast? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I have a sourdough starter that I regularly use for bread, but I have yet to try it for English muffins. I am going to try two methods – one with an overnight fermentation so it can develop more flavor, and another where it proofs at a higher temp like 80 degrees F for a quicker rise. Will let everyone know once I have tried it!
Can this be made without yogurt? I’m lactose intolerant and can’t digest yogurt.
Hi Ellie, you could try a coconut yogurt, though I’ve never tried it in this recipe, or as a baking substitute.
Sooooo good! So easy, and definitely wor try the little effort to make them! I used half whole wheat and they turned out amazingly😍
So glad you enjoyed these, Alex!
I enjoyed making this recipe for breakfast, this morning. It is easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Joe!
Thanks so much this recipe was really good…loved the fluffiness and taste. Was very easy to make. I did however have to reduce the fry time to 4-5 minutes since 6 minutes made the outside too dark even on medium heat.
You’re welcome, Christine!
Great recipe but I have trouble getting that nice brown crust . Is there a trick?
Hi Ruth, turn up your heat a bit!