Homemade English Muffins are one of the tastiest breakfast treats to make. They take a bit of time, but are absolutely worth it. With about two hours of your time, most of it hands off, you’ll have the fluffiest Homemade English Muffins. Who wouldn’t want a homemade English muffin, smothered in butter and jam?
I’ve always had a fondness for English muffins. Their craggy surface is just begging to be toasted and have a bit of butter drizzled over them. For years, I’d eaten store bought English muffins and wondered if there was a particular secret or trick to making them. English muffins were kind of like bagels in that regard – something made with yeast that was too complicated to make at home. Ok, so I haven’t made bagels yet, but when I made homemade English muffins a few years ago around the holidays, I realized they weren’t that hard at all.
There is a two-step process to cooking the muffins. The first step is to brown them on both sides in a cast iron or non-stick pan. Then, they bake in the oven for just a little while to bake all the way through. I don’t see the need to use English muffin rings, as the dough holds its shape.
The one difference is that homemade English muffins aren’t quite as craggy – there aren’t as many air pockets in them. Still, they toast up really well and have a nice, dense and chewy texture that goes so well with butter and jam, as well as holds up to various breakfast sandwich ingredients. They also are absolutely heavenly as the base for Eggs Benedict. These make a great weekend baking project, as well as a yummy treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoon active yeast
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Heat the milk until it is warm to the touch (110 degrees if you have a thermometer). In a medium sized bowl, combine the warm milk and the yeast and let sit for a few minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt in another bowl. Add the flour and salt mix, the softened butter, and the egg to the milk and yeast. Combine until you've made a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for six to eight minutes. You may need to add a bit more flour to keep the dough from sticking. Once the dough has formed a smooth ball, return it to the bowl and cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm spot for an hour.
- After the first rise, turn the dough out on a floured surface and divided it into 6 or 8 pieces (depending on the size you'd like your English muffins). Roll each segment into a ball and flatten slightly. Place the English muffins on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and let rise for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When your skillet is hot, add the English muffins, four muffins at a time (or more, if you have the room in your skillet). Cook the English muffins for 5 minutes per side (or until each side is golden brown).
- Place each browned English muffin on the baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled). When all English muffins are browned, bake in your pre-heated oven for 10 minutes or until the muffins are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Let the English muffins cool slightly before splitting them open. Enjoy!
