Light, fluffy and full of nooks and crannies

We never bought English muffins much from the store, partially because they were expensive but mostly because they were always dry and tasteless. I love a good crunch butty English muffin, especially as a part of a breakfast sandwich, and decided I was going to try my hand at them. I tried several different recipes before I found the one that needed the fewest tweaks to suit my personal needs.

No one thought you could actually make english muffins at home without fancy ingredients or equipment, but I proved them wrong. My boyfriend and his family want them all the time now; my family requests them every time we all get together for the holidays. With a few simple, staple ingredients and a little time, you too can enjoy bakery-fresh englsih muffins in your own kitchen!

English Muffin Ingredients

• – Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for this recipe, so keep the bread flour for another bake.

• – Yeast: Instant or rapid rise east is the best option to use here as it doesn’t need to be bloomed first and can just be mixed right in.

• – Milk: Whole milk provides a good flavor and keeps the muffins moist, but you can easily go low-fat or dairy-free if necessary.

• – Sugar: Even yeast needs to eat, and sugar helps give them a nice little boost

• – Egg: The egg helps to just enrich the dough and make the muffins a little more richer in flavor.

• – Butter: The perfect flavor boost and butter helps create those nooks and crannies english muffins are known for.

• -Salt: Salt adds flavor, simple as that.

English Muffin Recipe Tips

• – Don’t add too much flour: This dough is meant to be soft and slightly sticky. Don’t add any additional flour unless absolutely necessary, as this will cause the muffins to become dense

• – Make the dough ahead of time: This dough can be made the night before and stored in the fridge to slowly rise overnight. The overnight rise also allows the yeast to ferment and provides a deeper yeasty flavor.

• – Be gentle: Because this is such a soft dough, when cooking the muffins in the skillet, be gentle when flipping them to avoid knocking too much air out of them. Muffins that are over-proofed can also fall flat while cooking.

• – Use parchment paper to help muffins keep their shape: Because of the soft, sticky dough, it’s really easy for these muffins to misshapen, stretch, or even tear getting them from the baking sheet to the skillet. Parchment paper has been a huge help in preventing this.

Easy English Muffins

Directions

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the Dough

1. – In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.

1. – In a separate bowl, or large measuring cup, warm the milk and water together until lukewarm (about 100°F or 38°C).

1. – Add the warm milk-water mixture to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter and beaten egg.

1. – Using the paddle attachment (or spatula if mixing by hand), mix the ingredients until a sticky dough forms.

1. – Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or about 10 minutes by hand, until smooth and elastic.

Warning: The dough will be slightly wet and sticky!

Step 2: First Rise

1. – Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.

1. – Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 3: Shape the Muffins

1. – Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to remove the air.

1. – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

1. – Roll out the dough to about ½ inch thickness.

1. – Using a round cutter (about 3 inches in diameter), cut out 12 muffin rounds. If you don’t have a cutter, you can use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into squares.

Step 4: Prepare for Cooking

1. – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and sprinkle with cornmeal.

1. – Arrange the cut dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1/2 an inch apart.

1. – Cover the dough rounds with a cloth or loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest for about 30 minutes to allow a slight second rise.

Step 5: Cook the Muffins

1. – Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or electric griddle over medium-low heat.

1. – Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal and carefully transfer the dough rounds to the hot skillet, being careful not to overcrowd them.

1. – Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Use a spatula to flip them gently.

1. – You may need to adjust the heat to prevent them from burning before fully cooking through.

Cook in batches to ensure there is no crowding and muffins cook evenly

Step 6: Cool and Serve

1. – Slice them open with a fork (to get the signature nooks and crannies), toast, and enjoy with your favorite butter, jam, or toppings.