Here’s a fun baking project everyone should try at least once: homemade English Muffins! These come out golden and puffed, with a tender texture and those signature nooks and crannies. It’s so satisfying to make them at home, and the flavor is superior to brands from the store. An English muffin is cooked on the stove (much like a crumpet), but we like to finish ours in the oven for the perfect texture. Here’s how to do it!
Is an English muffin English?
An English muffin is a small, savory round bread that’s served cut in half and toasted. Despite the name, it was actually invented in America! A British immigrant named Samuel Bath Thomas invented the English muffin in 1894 in his New York bakery. He first called it the “toaster crumpet,” a thicker variation on the crumpet (which is a similar savory sound bread common in the UK). It caught on as a more elegant version of toast, and is a popular American breakfast item to this day. While it’s easy to find English muffins at the store, when you have the time it’s even more fun to whip up a batch homemade.
How to make English muffins: overview
Here’s the basic outline of what you’re getting yourself into with this English muffin recipe. The process takes about 2 hours 10 minutes total. You can then refrigerate or freeze them for eating all week! Here’s an outline of what you’ll have to do (jump to the recipe for full details):
Equipment needed
You’ll need a few pieces of equipment to a homemade English muffin, but the process is very simple. Here’s what you’ll need:
3-inch circular biscuit cutter. It’s nice to have a biscuit cutter in the correct size. Don’t have one? You can use an empty tuna can as a cutter: it’s roughly the right size.Large skillet or griddle. Use the largest griddle you have so you can fit as many muffins at once as possible. We used a double-size griddle which fit all 8 muffins at once.
Tips on this English muffin recipe
Once you’re ready to make your English muffins, read through the entire recipe below before starting. Here are a few tips that are important to keep in mind for the cooking process:
Cook the muffins on a griddle, then finish them in the oven. Cooking them only on the stovetop makes it easy to get them too brown. A quick pop in the oven helps finish the cooking process and makes a light, fluffy texture. Allow the muffins to cool completely before enjoying. This should take about 15 minutes. They are difficult to cut when they are warm. Split the English muffins with a fork instead of a knife! It sounds counterintuitive, but it gives you the best nooks and crannies. Then toast them up and you’re ready to go.
Homemade English muffin storage
This English muffin recipe makes eight servings, which you likely won’t eat in one sitting. Here are a few notes on storing homemade English muffins:
Refrigerate up to 5 days. They may become slightly dry during storage, but pop them into a toaster oven and they crisp up perfectly.Freeze up to 3 months. These muffins freeze well too! Place them in a sealed container and store 2 to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, take out a batch of and place them in the refrigerator to thaw, or place them at room temperature. (Or, you can microwave one for a few seconds before splitting and toasting).
How to serve them
Make sure to pop that English muffin into the toaster before serving. Then top it or serve it in one of the following ways:
Salted butterJam or preserves: try homemade strawberry jam or purchased jam or preservesPeanut butterGoat cheese and dried dill (our personal favorite!)Cream cheese and Everything Bagel seasoningBreakfast sandwichEnglish muffin pizza
More homemade breads
Love a great baking project? Here are a few more tasty breads to try at home:
Go for proper English crumpetsTry a long and lean French baguetteOpt for Easy No Knead BreadMix up a loaf of Best Sourdough Bread
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