Craving soft, fluffy English Muffins with a golden, slightly crisp exterior? This easy homemade recipe will guide you through creating your own from scratch. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, these English muffins are dusted with cornmeal and baked to perfection. Whether you enjoy them with butter, jam, or eggs, these homemade delights are a great way to elevate any meal. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have fresh, warm muffins straight from the oven!

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant dry yeast
• 2 tbsp oil (neutral olive oil or avocado oil)
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• cornmeal for dusting (about 2-3 tbsp) optional

Equipment I Used

• Pastry Mat
• Mixing Bowl
• Glass Measuring Cup
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Spatula
• Cookie Cutter
• Rolling Pin
• Baking Sheet
• Cooling Rack

How to Make It

Activate the yeast

In a glass measuring cup, combine the warm water and sugar. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Sprinkle the instant dry yeast over the water, then cover the cup with plastic wrap. Set it aside for about 10 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy and activated.

Mix the dough

While the yeast is activating, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oil. Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until everything is combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

Knead the dough

Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Begin kneading the dough, adding small amounts of flour as needed, just until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Let the dough rise

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. To speed up the rising process, you can turn on your oven to warm and place the bowl near the oven, which should help the dough rise in 30-50 minutes.

Shape the muffins

Once the dough has risen, transfer it back to the floured surface and knead it a couple of times. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. If you prefer more uniform shapes, you can roll out the dough and cut it with a round cookie cutter (I use 3″1/2). Alternatively, divide the dough manually and roll each piece lightly between your hands to form balls.

Prepare the dough discs (Optional)

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cornmeal onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place the dough balls onto the sheet pan and flatten them with the ball of your hand into discs about ¾ inch thick. Lightly spray the tops of the discs with cooking spray and sprinkle more cornmeal on top. Loosely cover the discs with a kitchen towel and let them puff up for about 20 minutes. (Note: This cornmeal portion is optional. I personally skip it, so feel free to leave it out if you don’t want to deal with cornmeal.)

Bake the English muffins

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Once the muffins have puffed up, bake them in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking. They should be lightly golden on the outside when done.

Cool and enjoy

Remove the English muffins from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.