English Muffins

Before you start

An English muffin is a soft, lightly enriched yeast dough that never sees an oven rack in the traditional method. Each round is proofed on a cornmeal-dusted tray and then cooked slowly on a griddle, so it rises in the pan, develops a flat, freckled top and bottom, and keeps a pale band around the middle. The famous nooks and crannies come from a dough that is wetter than ordinary sandwich bread and from tearing the muffin open with a fork rather than slicing it.

Heat control is the main decision. A griddle that is too hot scorches the outside long before the center sets, leaving a gummy core. Keep the burner at medium-low, give each side about 7 minutes, and confirm doneness with a thermometer the first time you make them. If your stove runs uneven, finish the muffins briefly in a moderate oven.

Ingredients

• 500 g (4 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 15 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 9 g (1½ tsp) fine salt
• 300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) warm water
• 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and slightly cooled
• 40 g (¼ cup) fine cornmeal or semolina — for dusting the tray and tops

Method

1. Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the warm milk, water and melted butter and mix on low until no dry flour remains.
2. Knead on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, pulling away from the sides but sticking a little at the bottom. Resist adding much more flour; the extra moisture is what opens the crumb.
3. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at warm room temperature for about 1 hour, until roughly doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
4. Scatter half of the cornmeal over the baking sheet. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and pat or roll it to 2 cm (¾ in) thick. Cut 8 cm rounds, press the scraps together once and cut the rest. You should get about 12.
5. Set the rounds on the cornmeal, leaving space between them, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining cornmeal. Cover loosely and proof for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy and about one and a half times their original height.
6. Heat the griddle over medium-low for 5 minutes, aiming for a surface temperature near 150°C (300°F). Lightly grease it. Transfer the muffins with a spatula, keeping their puffy shape, and space them 3 cm (1 in) apart.
7. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the bottoms are deep golden and the sides have risen. Flip gently and cook the second side 6 to 8 minutes more. The sides should feel springy, and the center should read 93°C (200°F).
8. Move the muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes so the crumb finishes setting. Split each one by working a fork all the way around the middle, then pull the halves apart and toast.

Tips for success

• Cook one test muffin first. If it browns in under 4 minutes, turn the heat down before adding the rest.
• If the outsides are done but the centers read below 93°C, bake the muffins at 175°C (350°F) for 5 to 8 minutes rather than leaving them on the griddle.
• A light hand during transfer matters. Muffins that get squeezed deflate and cook up flat and dense.
• Cutting with a sharp-edged cutter in one straight press keeps the sides open so the muffins can rise evenly.

Substitutions

Whole milk

Use 2% milk or unsweetened oat milk. The crumb is slightly less tender and the crust browns a little less.

All-purpose flour

Bread flour makes a chewier, more open muffin. Add 15 to 20 ml (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) more water, since stronger flour absorbs more.

Cornmeal

Semolina gives a finer, sandier coating. Plain flour works but browns less and lacks the crunch.

Instant yeast

Use 9 g (2½ tsp) active dry yeast. Dissolve it in the warm water for 5 minutes before mixing, and allow up to 15 minutes more for the rise.

Variations

Whole wheat English muffins

Replace 150 g of the flour with whole wheat flour and add 20 ml (4 tsp) more milk. Expect a nuttier flavor and slightly smaller nooks.

Cinnamon raisin

Knead 90 g (⅔ cup) raisins and 1½ tsp ground cinnamon into the dough after the first mix. Watch the heat closely, since the fruit can scorch.

Troubleshooting

Muffins are burnt outside and gummy inside

The griddle was too hot. Lower the heat so each side takes 6 to 8 minutes, and finish underdone muffins in a 175°C (350°F) oven.

Crumb is tight, with no nooks

The dough was too dry or the muffins were sliced with a knife. Keep the dough tacky, proof the rounds fully, and always split them with a fork.

Muffins spread into thin disks

They were overproofed or handled roughly during transfer. Shorten the proof and lift each round with a thin spatula without pressing.

Tops are lopsided or domed

Uneven heat across the pan or rounds cut from dough of uneven thickness. Roll to an even 2 cm and rotate muffins around the griddle halfway through each side.

Storage

Keep cooled muffins in a bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, split them first, freeze for up to 3 months, and toast straight from frozen.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough; raw flour can carry harmful bacteria until it is cooked. Contains wheat and milk.