Here’s a solid, classic English muffin recipe that gives you those soft, nooks-and-crannies muffins perfect for toasting:
Ingredients (makes 6–8 muffins)
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 packet (2¼ tsp / 7 g) active dry yeast
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120 g) bread flour (or more all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
- Warm the milk & activate yeast
- Heat milk until just warm (about 110°F / 43°C).
- Stir in sugar and yeast. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Make the dough
- In a large bowl, mix flours and salt.
- Add milk-yeast mixture and butter. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Knead
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5–6 minutes.
- First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise 1–2 hours until doubled.
- Shape muffins
- Punch down dough, roll to about ¾-inch thick.
- Use a round cutter (3–4 inch / 7–10 cm) to cut muffins.
- Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet and place muffins on top.
- Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Cook muffins
- Heat a griddle or skillet over low–medium heat.
- Cook muffins 6–7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Avoid high heat—inside will remain doughy.
- Cool & serve
- Let muffins cool on a wire rack. Slice horizontally with a fork to preserve nooks-and-crannies. Toast and enjoy!
💡 Tips for perfect English muffins
- Fork-slicing instead of cutting with a knife keeps the interior fluffy.
- For extra flavor, you can replace ¼ cup of milk with buttermilk.
- Patience on the low-heat cooking gives that classic chewy texture.
If you want, I can also give a foolproof overnight version that’s easier to manage and gives even bigger nooks-and-crannies. Do you want me to?
