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    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Homemade English Muffins Bread Machine Recipe

    Published: Feb 17, 2022 · Modified: Jun 1, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Recipe Jump to Video
    Homemade English Muffins are easy to make especially if you have a bread machine. Grill them and serve with a nice English or Irish breakfast #yourguardianchef #breackfast #bread #breakfast
    Homemade English Muffins are easy to make especially if you have a bread machine. Grill them and serve with a nice English or Irish breakfast #yourguardianchef #breackfast #bread #breakfast

    Freshly baked homemade English muffins with a crispy crust and a soft buttery center for a special breakfast. You will be surprised how easy it is to make them, either in a bread machine or with a mixer. Top them with butter and jam or bacon and egg, and you will never buy them already made again.

    Homemade English Muffins opened in half and served with butter
    Jump to:
    • Difference between English muffins and regular bread
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions with images
    • How to make sure the muffins are cooked
    • Making muffins on the outdoor bbq
    • How to eat English muffins
    • Bread machine vs regular mixer
    • Other tools you need
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • 📋 Homemade English Muffins

    Difference between English muffins and regular bread

    English Muffins are bread rolls usually used for breakfast.

    They can be served with regular butter and jam or a more substantial breakfast with bacon, eggs, and sausages like the American egg Benedict.

    The main difference between English Muffins and regular bread rolls is how they are cooked.

    The Bread rolls are baked in the oven, while the English muffins are grilled on a skillet or griddle.

    Compared to my homemade panini bread rolls, English muffins don't have eggs.

    However, they have milk and butter, so they are not vegan.

    This is why English muffins are lighter than regular rolls and well combined with a rich breakfast with sausage, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs.

    sunny-side-up egg with English muffin

    Ingredients

    • Flour: all-purpose flour is best for dough with yeast
    • Milk: I use half-fat milk for a lighter taste
    • Butter: melted butter
    • Sugar: regular castor sugar
    • Yeast: I prefer to use dried yeast as it last longer in the pantry
    • Salt
    • Semolina flour for coating: optional

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    ingredients to make English muffin dough

    Step by step instructions with images

    I prepare the dough in the bread machine and grill them in a skillet pan.

    Prepare the dough

    Making the dough with the bread machine

    1. Mix all the wet ingredients: milk and melted butter
    2. Mix all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, and yeast
    3. Pour into the bread machine basket, first the wet ingredients and then the dry
    4. Turn the program to "dough" (no cooking) and let it run, normally the dough will be ready in 1.5 hours
    step by step making the dough in the bread machine

    If you don't have a bread machine, you can find detailed instructions to make the dough by hand or with an electric mixer in this article: Brioche & Bread Rolls' dough without a bread machine

    Getting ready to cook them

    Prepare all the tools you need while the griddle is heating on the fire. You will need:

    • 4 ring mold diameter 4 in - 10 cm
    • A brush for butter
    • 20 gr of butter, slightly warm
    • The spatula to flip the muffins
    • Fire kitchen gloves for high temperature

    Once the griddle is hot, you are ready to proceed.

    Warning: the griddle should be at medium heat. Too hot will burn the base of the muffins, and too low will not cook the inside.

    All the tools needed to make English muffins prepared on a tray

    Cooking the muffins

    1. Butter the griddle
    2. Butter well the inside of the rings with the brush
    3. Place the rings on the hot griddle
    4. With a large spoon, pour the dough inside the rings.
    5. Cover the top and let it cook for at least 10 minutes.
    6. You don’t need to smooth the top of the dough, as the muffins will fill the mold as they rise while cooking.

    Hint: you can dust the bases with some semolina flour to give the classic English muffins coating

    step by step cooking the muffins on the grill
    1. After 10 minutes, check the base to see if it is brown and if the muffins hold their shape. If they do open the molds and remove them
    2. Turn the muffins to the other side
    3. Lower the heat in the griddle, and cook the muffins covered for 7 to 10 minutes. You need to ensure that the griddle is not too hot; otherwise, it will burn the outside of the muffins.
    4. Once the cover of the grill is down, ensure sufficient heat builds up inside so that the muffins will bake properly.
    finish to grill the muffins on the other side

    How to make sure the muffins are cooked

    • It is important that the griddle is not too hot to burn the muffins and not too low otherwise, the muffins will not cook properly inside.
    • To be sure the muffins are cooked inside, insert a pin inside them; if they are done, they should come out clean. If residuals of fresh dough are attached to the pin, they need to cook longer.
    • If you need to cook the muffins longer, but the outside is getting burned, put them in the oven at 355 F - 180 C.
    • Once you make them a couple of times, you will find out the best setting for your stove
    • When they are done, let the muffins rest for a few minutes, as they will be easier to cut.
    English muffins in a basket

    Making muffins on the outdoor bbq

    During the summer, I make the muffins on my outdoor Weber barbecue. I bought a griddle just for that.

    There are two main advantage of making the muffins on an outdoor barbecue:

    • As I usually serve an Irish breakfast with my muffins, I can cook the sausage and the vegetables on the same griddle and keep them warm
    • When you close the barbecue cover, I can create a griddle/oven combination to grill and bake the muffins simultaneously. As there is a thermometer on the Weber cover, I can check the temperature and make sure my muffins are not burning
    English muffins cooked on an outdoor barbecue grill

    How to eat English muffins

    In the USA, they are served as a base of Egg Benedict: bacon, sunny-side-up egg, and a Bearnaise sauce.

    Our favorite way to have English muffins is with an Irish Breakfast, which, since in  France you cannot find the main ingredients, is not so Irish after all.

    When we go to Ireland, we stock up on Irish puddings and do a proper one.

    You can read the about me page to find out more about my links to Ireland.

    ways of serving English muffins with egg and bacon

    Otherwise, you can serve them with butter and jam, which my friend Beth did.

    As part of a Recipe exchange from our Facebook Group International Food Bloggers Cooperation, my friend Beth from Binky's Culinary Carnival had to choose a recipe from my blog and make it herself.

    I was not surprised when she decided to try this Homemade English Muffin, and she also has two boys, ages 18 and 26.

    They loved them so much; she has already made them three times, and I think she is still going for more.

    Check out her blog and her amazing pictures. She has wonderful homemade jams to serve them with.

    English Muffins served with jam

    Bread machine vs regular mixer

    You can use a regular mixer or a bread machine to make the dough for the English muffins.

    The difference is that with the bread machine, you put all the ingredients in, the wet ingredients first, then the dry ingredients, and the bread machine does all the rest.

    The basket will warm up just enough for the yeast to activate, and the dough will come out perfectly without any effort.

    Once the dough is ready, you can proceed to cook them.

    Instead, with the regular mixer, you must activate the yeast first, prepare the dough, then let it rest.

    Fresh yeast that needs to be activated

    It is not difficult to do either way, but if you do the dough with a bread machine, you can focus on some other tasks, which is a great time saver, especially if you have a hectic life.

    I prefer to use a bread machine, and you can read my article here: Bread machine. You can find more of my favorite kitchen items in my amazon shops: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

    If you don't have a bread machine, you can find detailed instructions to make the dough by hand or with an electric mixer in this article: Brioche & Bread Rolls' dough without a bread machine

    Dough in the Bread machine

    Other tools you need

    The English muffins are grilled; therefore, you need a griddle or a skillet with lid to cook them.

    It is very important to have a lid as they need to be covered to cook inside properly.

    The muffin dough is very soft, and to make a nice round muffin shape, the dough should be poured into a mold when cooking on the griddle- measuring approximately 4 in - 10 cm in diameter.

    For that, I use the side ring of the  Mini hinged cake molds; as an alternative, you can use metal cookie cutters. You will need four rings; otherwise, you must cook them one by one.

    I also recommend heavy-duty fire gloves BBQ, as you must remove the molds to turn the muffins.

    I also use a silicone brush to butter the skillet and the molds.

    English muffins tin mold

    Storage

    You can store these English muffins for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

    Toast them in a toaster before serving them.

    They also freeze well for up to 3 months

    FAQ

    Are English Muffins the same as bread?

    The English muffin dough is similar to a bread brioche made with milk instead of water and butter but with no eggs. The main difference between English muffins and bread is that the English muffins are cooked in a grill while the bread is baked in the oven

    Are English muffins English?

    Not and you can find the answer here: The English Muffin Is Not English at All

    If you are making these homemade English Muffins, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

    Homemade English Muffins opened in half and served with butter

    📋 Homemade English Muffins

    5 from 4 votes
    Laura Tobin
    Servings 4 Rolls
    Prep Time 3 hours hrs
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe
    You can buy ready made English muffins, but if you make them fresh at home you will never go back to the bought ones. To ease the work, you can make the dough in the bread machine
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Cast Iron Skillet with Lid
    • Silicone Basting Brush
    • Mini Pans Set 4 Piece
    • Wooden Turner Set
    • Fire Gloves BBQ
    • Weber griddle

    Ingredients
     

    Dough

    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 tablespoon melted butter
    • 2 cup flour
    • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 pkg yeast (2 tsp)

    Grilling

    • 2 tablespoon butter

    Instructions
     

    Making the dough with a bread machine

    • Mix all the wet ingredients: butter and milk
      1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter
    • Mix all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, and yeast
      2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 pkg yeast
    • Pour the ingredients into the machine and set the program for dough, no cooking.

    Making the dough by hand or with an electric mixer

    • If you don't have a bread machine, you can find detailed instructions to make the dough by hand or with an electric mixer in this article: Brioche & Bread Rolls' dough without a bread machine

    Getting ready for the griddle

    • Once the dough is ready prepare the griddle
    • Prepare all the tools you need while the griddle is heating on the fire. You need a 4 in - 10 cm ring, a brush for the butter, 20 gr of butter slightly warm, the spatula to flip the muffin, Kitchen gloves for high temperature.
      2 tablespoon butter
      All the tools needed to make English muffins prepared on a tray
    • Once the griddle is hot, you are ready to proceed.

    Cooking the muffins

    • Butter the griddle
    • Butter well the inside of the rings with the brush
    • Place the rings on the hot griddle
    • With a large spoon pour the dough inside the 4 rings equally
    • You don’t need to smooth the top of the dough as the muffins will fill the mold as they rise while cooking.
    • Cover the top and let it cook for at least 10 minutes.
    • After 10 minutes, check the base to see if it is brown and the muffins hold their shape. If they do, open the moulds and remove them
    • Turn the muffins on the other side
    • Lower the heat in the griddle, and cook the muffins covered for a further 7 to 10 minutes. You need to ensure that the griddle is not too hot; otherwise it will burn the outside of the muffins.
    • Serve warm with butter and jam or with egg and bacon

    Video

    Notes

    • A VERY IMPORTANT POINT TO REMEMBER: when using the bread machine the ingredients should be placed in the exact order as listed above, liquids first.
    • It is important that the griddle is not too hot to burn the muffins and not too low otherwise the muffins will not cook properly inside.
    Making sure the muffins are cooked
    • To be sure the muffins are cooked inside, insert a pin inside the muffins; if they are done, it should come out clean. If there is still fresh dough attached they need to cook longer.
    • If you need to cook the muffins longer but the outside is getting burned, put them in the oven at 355 F - 180 C.
    • Once you make them a couple of times, you will find out the best setting for your stove
    • When they are done, let the muffins rest for a few minutes as they will be easier to cut.
    • With the Weber barbecue, it is easier to balance the heat between the griddle and the oven, a thermometer attached to the cover indicates the temperature inside the oven.
    • As I usually serve an Irish breakfast with my muffins, and with a Weber barbecue I can cook the sausages and the vegetables on the same griddle and keep them warm

    Nutrition

    Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 685mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 364IUCalcium: 78mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!
    important notes on ingredients

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago

      August 26, 2017 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      I'd love to try this recipe. I bet they are so much better homemade!

      Reply
    2. Elaine @ Dishes Delish

      August 26, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      My mom used to make homemade English muffins. I miss them. Not sure why I haven't attempted them. I certainly will be changing that soon. Lovely recipe! They look so delicious!

      Reply
      • Laura

        September 02, 2017 at 4:40 am

        they are and with school starting Monday I am getting ready to treat the boys with it

        Reply
      • CC

        January 11, 2024 at 10:57 pm

        5 stars
        So so so good!!! Wonderful recipe! The dough is beautifully soft and the english muffins turn out to be so soft and fluffy!

        Reply
        • Laura

          January 12, 2024 at 7:12 am

          Thank you so much, I am glad you liked it.

          Reply
    3. Patty @pattysaveurs.com

      March 03, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      I love the look of these English muffins and want to try your recipe for tomorrow's brunch, I'm sure we'll all love them! Thanks for the recipe Laura!

      Reply
      • Laura

        March 03, 2018 at 10:52 pm

        I am delighted to hear that Patty. Let me know how it goes

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes

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    Laura Giunta Tobin

    Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my blog! While many talk about Italian food, I’ve lived it firsthand. Here, I share real Italian home cooking, just as it’s made in Italy. Won’t you join me?

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