Why Store-Bought Can't Compete
Homemade English muffins are one of those recipes where the difference from the commercial product is so vast, it almost feels like a different food. Fresh English muffins have a slightly sweet, tender crumb with those famous nooks and crannies — irregular holes that trap pools of melted butter, honey, or jam. The exterior, dusted in semolina and cooked on a griddle, has a gentle crunch completely different from oven-baked bread.
The key difference from regular bread? English muffins are cooked on a griddle or pan, not in an oven. This low, slow, indirect heat creates a unique interior texture — almost steamed inside while being gently toasted on the outside.
Ingredients (10 Muffins)
- Bread flour — 350g
- Warm milk — 200ml
- Butter — 30g, melted
- Egg — 1 large
- Sugar — 25g
- Instant yeast — 7g
- Salt — 6g
- Semolina or fine cornmeal — for dusting
Method
Make the Dough
Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Wait 5 minutes. Add flour, egg, melted butter, and salt. Mix and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky — softer than regular bread dough but not wet. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and rise for 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
Shape
Generously dust your work surface with semolina. Turn out the dough and roll/pat to about 2cm thickness. Cut rounds using an 8cm cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. Re-roll scraps and cut again until you have 10 muffins. Place on a semolina-dusted tray, dust the tops with more semolina, cover with a towel, and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
Cook on the Griddle
Heat a large non-stick pan or cast-iron griddle over very low heat. This is critical — if the heat is too high, the outside will burn before the centre cooks through. Place muffins in the dry pan (no oil needed, the semolina prevents sticking). Cook for 7–8 minutes per side. They should be deeply golden brown with a gentle, even colour. The total cook time is about 15 minutes per muffin — much longer than you'd expect.
Cool & Fork-Split
Cool on a wire rack. When ready to eat, never cut with a knife — fork-split them instead. Poke a fork around the circumference and gently pull apart. The fork creates the rough, craggly surface that catches and holds butter. A knife creates a smooth surface that butter slides off. This is the difference between a good English muffin and a great one.
Best Ways to Serve
- Eggs Benedict — toasted muffin + poached egg + hollandaise sauce
- Breakfast sandwich — egg, cheese, bacon or sausage
- Simple toast — split, toast until golden, slather with salted butter
- Pizza muffins — top with sauce, mozzarella, and broil for 4 minutes
- Jam & cream cheese — the classic afternoon tea option
Storage
Room temperature in a zip-lock bag: 3 days. Frozen: up to 2 months. Pre-split before freezing — they toast directly from frozen beautifully. Place split-side-up in a toaster on medium-high heat.