Kevin Lee Jacobs

Gardening, Recipes & Home Décor Tips

English Muffins from Scratch

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 46 Comments

Please enjoy this English Muffin recipe from the “My Idea of Heaven” video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The English muffins in question are blessed with a yeasty aroma and a pleasant chew that puts store-bought counterpart to shame. And no yeast bread could be easier to make. If you can make a pancake batter, you can make English muffins!


Here’s the printable recipe:

Print
Kevin's No-Knead English Muffins

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

3 hours, 17 minutes

Yield: 6-8 muffins, 3 1/2 inches in diameter (recipe can be doubled)

These English muffins are everything their store-bought counterparts are not: yeasty, chewy, and irresistibly delicious. And would believe they are a cinch to make? If you can make pancake batter, you can make this nook-and-cranny nirvana.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) warm (100°F) water
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) warm (100°F) milk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups (340g) all-purpose ("plain") flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the water, milk, and yeast. Add the flour, and slowly stir 100 times in the same direction to activate the gluten. The dough will have the same consistency as a thick pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and set someplace warm until the batter doubles in volume and is bubbly -- about 1 1/2 hours.
  2. Sprinkle the dissolved salt over the batter. Then stir in the same direction 25 times, to deflate the dough and to incorporate the salt. Cover again, and let rest until doubled in size and bubbly. (These bubbles create all those nooks and crannies you want.)
  3. Preheat a large skillet over a medium-low flame. (If using an electric skillet, preheat to 300°F). Arrange up to 6 (3 1/2-inch-diameter) English muffin rings in the skillet. Spray the inside of the rings, and also the surface below them, with vegetable spray. Then spoon or ladle the batter into the rings, filling them no more than halfway full. Cover the skillet, and let the muffins cook until their tops feel dry to the touch -- 8-9 minutes. Using tongs, remove the rings from the muffins. Then use a spatula to flip the muffins over. Cook this side for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/english-muffins-from-scratch/

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Comments

  3. 3

    Jerry Miller says

    They sure look good. You could hear how crispy they are when you bit into it! I made the recipe and they came out perfect. Thanks Kevin.

  8. 8

    Deborah Goodman says

    Okay Kevin I think I know what might have happened. I’m going to give them another try. I think part of the problem I had was not enough consistent warmth for the dough to rise properly. That’s what happens when you live in a house that is cold and drafty AND has kids running in and out. I’ll keep you posted on how the second batch turns out.

  10. 10

    Martha Robinson says

    These look wonderful. On another subject, ever since I learned your instructions for freezing zucchini, I’ve been harvesting and freezing a bounty of zucchini and yellow crookneck squash that way. Friday I thawed some and sautéed them with a little butter and some small slices of honey ham. Oh, and I added a little grated parmesan. Heavenly! Yesterday I combined the leftovers with some turkey broth I had frozen from Christmas and voila! A lovely soup. Thank you for all the smiles and recipes and gardening tips that I have received from you over the years.

  12. 12

    Mary says

    I made the English muffins on Friday. They were easy and came out well. I cooked them a bit longer as the first few were undercooked but still edible. Great recipe. Thank you Kevin. Love your website. For the videos, your photographer should elevate himself so that the top of your head would not be cut off. 🙂

  13. 13

    Janis says

    I had no idea making English Muffins was so easy. A little work maybe, but these look amazing. Thanks, Kevin! Love your videos.

  19. 19

    Kathy C. says

    I’m going to try these; I had no idea that that’s how you made them–in a skillet.
    Each new video looks more professional than the last, Kevin. Keep up the good work!
    Kathy C.

  22. 22

    ingmarie says

    Thanks Kevin, got to try this, with just bought Hjortron sylt , (cloudberry jam for you all) from Ikea.

  23. 23

    ingmarie peck says

    Thanks Kevin, got to try this, with just bought Hjortron sylt , (cloudberry jam for you all).

  26. 26

    Shirley says

    I absolutely love English muffins and will be trying these asap! I do have a recipe for english muffin bread which I use and is ..ok… However on the gluten free recipes there is a danger for people that do not need it and are using those recipes to lose weight etc. It can cause diabetes weight GAIN and even death ! Here is a link to the dangers I hope people that are doing it will check it out.
    http://www.livescience.com/51826-gluten-free-diets-can-be-unhealthy.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=more-from-livescience

  27. 27

    Megan Black says

    I split and toast them a bit after baking on the skillet. Water chestnuts also came in cans the right size. Not sure if they still have removable ends, though. I am glad I am such a saver and have the old tuna cans! I bet gluten free flour would work just fine.

  29. 29

    Ang says

    Just made these and they are yummy! I’m grateful for the video, kept me reassured about the texture of the batter 🙂

  30. 30

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    Hi Chris – Homemade English muffins. Now that’s impressive on a B&B menu!

    Hi Ang – Happy to hear this recipe worked out for you. Glad you found the video helpful!

  31. 31

    Cheryl Balster says

    Kevin, Loved the video. I eat an english muffin egg sandwich every morning. Now I can make my own muffins. Would the muffins still work ok without as much salt? I have to watch salt in my diet.

  32. 32

    Meredith Hill says

    Thank you for another great video. You make it looks so easy, I am ready to try! Your English Muffins look delicious!

  33. 33

    Growing my own says

    I made a big investment in 2, count em 2, sets of rings that cost at least $8 total and tried your recipe. It was wonderful! Worked perfectly. This may be added to the items I sell at our local farm market. Thanks for the inspiration.

  35. 35

    Angela says

    Hi Kevin!
    Can’t wait to make the english muffins!
    Thanks for the video and a glimpse of sweet Lily!
    You both put a smile on my face:)

  36. 36

    Luan says

    I so miss your wonderful newsletters. I could read them, enjoy the pictures and of course your recipes. I do not have time in my busy day to watch a twelve minute video. So now I glance at the recipe, but a garden for the house was always a garden for my soul. I shared with many friends. With the newsletter, I could feel the joy of the photos with such a nice narrative. Often your newsletter would get me through a boring meeting, as I quietly enjoyed reading. Just wanted you to know how much I miss you.

  37. 37

    Tiffany says

    I love English Muffins as well. You’re making me yearn for them. Well, I guess to make them gluten free using regular AP flour I suppose I’d have to do what I do for my sourdough bread using the starter instead of the regular yeast and then after mixed, cover and refrigerate for 48 hrs, then bring to room temperature, add the salt/water combo and let rise again then bake in my electric skillet (thanks for that idea). We’ll see where this goes. The SD bread I make very very frequently works with this process, however, I don’t have to bring the dough to room temperature after taking out of refrigerator, I just bake it cold in a enamel pot that has been heated up to 450 deg, then bake the bread at 430 for 52 min exactly. So this English Muffin recipe should work with my alterations in the fermenting of the dough.

    PS- For those interested, I know of no GF flour mixture that will work with regular yeast. None of the flours work with yeast unless you make your own GF Sourdough Yeast Starter. That’s just the way it is. Although for any non-yeast recipes the best GF flour (after testing zillions of brands and even making my own) is: Bob’s Red Mill 1 To 1 GF Baking Flour. You can make just about anything with this flour (as long as no yeast required). Great one to one substitute for AP flour.

  38. 38

    Julie R says

    The English Muffins look yummy. I loved seeing Lily at the end of the video. You two together made me smile = ) Since you showed us how to make muffins, maybe some time you could show us how to make homemade fruit jam, to go with the muffins. I have never made either one, but would like to learn how.

  39. 39

    Susan says

    Wow Kevin ;you made that look so easy. I love a recipe with just a few basic ingreadients. Who knew you could make your own English muffins?!
    Thank you for the instructional video. It brings it to life AND we get to see you. I’m ordering the rings on Amazon as we speak.
    Ps love the glimpse of your dog….adorable!

  40. 40

    Flora says

    Your video was so helpful. So many recipes for English Muffins are too much like bread. These are perfect! Thank you.

  42. 42

    Chrissy says

    The heating bag trick is genius. I have a house built in 1890 and have the same problem. Thank you!

  44. 44

    Emily says

    Delicious! My family love them, and I especially appreciate a bread recipe that I can make in Summer without heating up the kitchen. Good work, Mr. Jacobs!

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