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Homemade English Muffins

Homemade English Muffins

Contributor: Lyndsay Burginger

Homemade English Muffins are easier than you think!

  • Author: Lyndsay Burginger
  • Prep Time: 3.5 hours
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 and 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup of warm Water (105°F)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast, divided
  • 1 and 1/2 cups ice cold water
  • 1/4 cup powdered milk
  • 4 tsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp. malt vinegar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal

Instructions

  1. In medium-sized bowl, mix together ½ cup of the bread flour with the warm water, and ½ teaspoon of the yeast. Mix until incorporated and shiny. Cover loosely with a towel and let sit in room-temperature for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours. The longer the starter sits, the more flavorful it becomes.
  2. In bowl of mixer, combine starter, remaining 4 cups bread flour, ice cold water, powdered milk, sugar, butter, remaining 1 teaspoon of yeast, baking soda and baking powder. Stir to incorporate. While stirring, add malt vinegar. Using a dough hook, mix dough for 6 minutes on low speed.
  3. Add salt and continue mixing for an additional 12 to 15 minutes on medium speed. The gluten will break down, looking like a loose, sticky dough.
  4. Oil a medium bowl. Add the dough and flip it over so top is coated lightly in oil. Cover with a moist towel and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour 45 minutes.
  5. Dust a sheet pan with the cornmeal.
  6. Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into 12 equal balls.  Smooth them out as best you can but it’s ok if one side has weird ugly seams.
  7. Place the rounded balls on sheet pans two inches apart. Using the flat palm of your hand, flatten balls into muffin shapes by pressing dough down to ¾ in thickness. Flip them over so that both sides have a cornmeal coating. Cover with a moist towel and let proof for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat griddle over low to medium-low heat. Lift dough rounds with spatula and place on the griddle, leaving about an inch of space between the rounds. Cook muffins 5 minutes on one side, checking regularly to make sure they’re not burning. You may need to adjust the heat if they’re browning too fast. And if some are browning more than others, swap them around a bit. You want them to be a toasty brown on one side after those first 5 minutes. Flip them over. Cook another 5 minutes, watching and moving things around as needed. Flip and cook for for 2-3 more minutes on each side. The muffins should be firm on the sides without overbrowning the tops or bottoms. The sides will be pale and soft-looking. (Note: If you need to cook your muffins in two batches, between batches, scrape all of the cornmeal off of the griddle so that it doesn’t burn onto your second batch).
  9. Remove muffins and place on cooling rack. Let cool until room temperature.
  10. To Serve: Using a fork, split the muffins down the middle. This will open up all the nooks and crannies in the muffin. Toast and use for Eggs Benedict or simply top with jam and butter.