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    Home » Recipes » Bread & Biscuits

    Published: Aug 31, 2017 · Modified: May 30, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 50 Comments

    Homemade English Muffins

    4.83 from 28 votes
    JUMP TO RECIPE WATCH VIDEO
    Homemade English Muffins. Nothing can beat them straight off the griddle or gently toasted. They are soft, slightly chewy & perfect for breakfast or snacks. No oven is required & they are so much nicer than store bought!

    Homemade English Muffins. Nothing can beat them straight off the griddle or gently toasted.  They are soft, slightly chewy & perfect for breakfast or snacks. No oven is required & they are so much nicer than store-bought!

    Homemade English Muffins on cooling rack

    Picture for one minute, one of these homemade English Muffins, straight off the griddle, spread thickly with my Easy Vegan Butter and topped with a dollop of vegan lemon curd ......

    I have been eating these English Muffins like they are going out of fashion recently and even I stopped in my tracks at the thought. They are quite simply, irresistible.

    They really aren't all that difficult to make either. They do however take a bit of time but almost all of that is hands off time and it is so, SO, worth the wait. See my video below for a step by step guide.

    Homemade English Muffins on a plate. One split and spread with butter and jam.

    You can also make the dough for these English Muffins in a bread machine if you have one. Directions are given below.

    No oven is required. They get cooked on a griddle or in a skillet. That's what gives them their beautifully golden tops and bottoms. And those beautifully golden tops and bottoms give them their distinctive chewiness. Watching them grow on the griddle is so fun too. They really are like little puffy clouds!

    They are just perfect while very fresh, eaten just as they are. Nothing can beat them right off the griddle! However, they really come into their English Muffin-ness properly when split and toasted. Their little nooks and crannies get all crispy and golden and they are the perfect vehicle for all sorts of toppings.

    Close up Shot of Homemade English Muffins on a plate. Split, spread with drippy jam with a bite taken out.

    Serving Suggestions

    Vegan butter and jam is my favourite topping for these muffins, but they also work incredibly well with all sorts of other accompaniments. Try them:

    • Topped with your favourite tofu scramble
    • Used as a base for a vegan eggs benny (there is a recipe in my cookbook)
    • Turned into mini pizzas for the kiddos
    • Used instead of bread for sandwiches or as an alternative to burger buns
    • Toast and top with your favourite toast toppings (avocado, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms etc).
    Homemade English Muffins from above. One a plate with butter and jam.

    Fork splitting

    What the heck is fork splitting? Well, if you want maximum nooks and crannies for superior butter catching, use a fork to split your muffins rather than using a knife. I really should have shown you how in my video but I didn't think about it until afterwards. I might make a quick add-on next time I make them but until then, here is a pretty rudimentary video that shows how.

    More English style recipes

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    • a sliced vegan ham surrounded by orange wedges and herbs
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    • a skillet with golden vegan sausages in it
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    • vegan sausage casserole in a skillet
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    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe

    English muffins on a wire rack

    Homemade English Muffins

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    4.83 from 28 votes
    Homemade English Muffins. Nothing can beat them straight off the griddle or gently toasted. Soft, slightly chewy, full of nooks and crannies, & perfect for breakfast or snack. No oven is required and they are so much nicer than store-bought!
    PRINT PIN SAVE Saved!
    PREP TIME: 45 minutes minutes
    COOK TIME: 15 minutes minutes
    Rising Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings 8 muffins

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour , (strong in the UK). Plus a little more for rolling.
    • 2 teaspoons instant yeast , sometimes called quick or fast action yeast
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 tablespoons (30 mls) liquid oil , such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, or light olive oil.
    • Approx 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270 mls) warm water
    • ⅓ cup (53 grams) cornmeal , or use more flour
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, add all ingredients (except the cornmeal) to the bowl and mix for around 7 - 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Once it starts coming together give it a little poke and add a drop or two more water if it feels dry, giving it a chance to mix in between additions. You are looking for it to become a very slightly tacky-to-touch smooth, elastic, and pliable dough. 
    • If you don't have a stand mixer, add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix then pour in the water and oil. Stir briefly adding more water drop by drop as required to form into a shaggy dough. Then tip out onto a clean surface rubbed with some oil (not flour). Rub some oil onto your hands and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pliable. When kneaded properly, if you put your hands on either side of the ball of dough and squeeze inwards, it should bounce back slowly when you let go.
    • Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a wet tea towel. Leave in a draft-free area until it has doubled in size (this usually takes about 1 hour in my kitchen). You will get the best flavor by not rushing it so I advise just leaving it on the kitchen counter and not moving it somewhere really warm to speed it up. 
    • While you're waiting line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it generously with cornmeal.
    • Once doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until it's1 inch thick. Make sure it is even all over. If it keeps springing back and is hard to roll, leave it to rest and relax for 5 minutes then try again.
    • Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut rounds and place them gently on the prepared baking sheet. If you don't have a cookie cutter use the top of a glass or mug. Be sure to cut carefully and get as many as you can out of the first batch of rolled dough because the muffins are always slightly better than those made with the remaining dough.
    • When you have cut as many as you can, ball up the remaining dough as gently as you can and re-roll it then cut out the remaining muffins. 
    • Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with more cornmeal (or flour) then cover with the damp tea towel and leave again until almost doubled in size. It won't take as long this time. Usually about 30 minutes. 
    • Heat a griddle, large cast iron pan, or large skillet/frying pan over medium-low heat. Leave it to preheat for a good 5 minutes. Don't use any oil.
    • Place as many muffins as will fit comfortably (with sufficient room to turn them easily), VERY gently on the griddle. It’s important to be as gentle as possible because you don’t want to knock any of the air out of them.
    • Cook for 5 to 7  minutes until beautifully golden on the bottom. They will puff up like little balls as they are cooking. Then VERY gently turn them over and cook for another 5 - 7 minutes on the other side. Keep checking and when they are a deep golden brown transfer to a wire rack.
    • Repeat with the remaining muffins.

    NOTES

    Store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Rate it & leave feedback in the comments section below. I love seeing your remakes too. Tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram! 🌟

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sally says

      May 17, 2023 at 9:14 am

      5 stars
      OMG. Just made these and they are fantastic! So puffy and light. They put shop ones to shame. Thank you.

      Reply
    2. Jess says

      January 13, 2022 at 2:44 pm

      can you use gluten free all-purpose?

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        January 13, 2022 at 2:48 pm

        I've never tried making them with gluten-free flour so I don't know how well they would turn out.

        Reply
    3. Jessica Gibbon says

      December 29, 2021 at 3:09 pm

      5 stars
      these look amazing!! quick question, should i oil the griddle or the skillet? or cook it dry? thanks for the recipe! :)

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        December 29, 2021 at 6:32 pm

        I never do. They should be fine without. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Ace Ayala says

      September 07, 2021 at 11:56 pm

      5 stars
      Hi, I just wanted to ask about the type of cornmeal I should use for this recipe should use. Should I use finely grinded cornmeal or should I use medium grind cornmeal?

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        September 08, 2021 at 10:11 am

        It doesn't matter. Whichever you would prefer the texture of. I use whichever one I have at the time.

        Reply
    5. Jess the Baker says

      April 19, 2021 at 8:58 am

      Ok, so should we be using bread flour or all-purpose? Those flours have different gluten contents and will make a difference. You say all-purpose/strong flour (if in the UK) but again, all-purpose is NOT the same as strong flour.
      In the UK vs. the US:
      “Plain Flour” = All-Purpose
      “Strong Flour” = Bread Flour

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        April 19, 2021 at 9:05 pm

        I'm very familiar with the flour types as I'm English and live in Canada and spend a lot of time in the U.S.
        As per the recipe you need to use strong flour if you are in the UK or all-purpose flour if you're not (i.e in the US or Canada).
        Plain flour in the UK is not the same as American and Canadian all-purpose flour and there is no flour labelled as all-purpose there.
        Plain flour has a very different protein content and isn't good for making bread. All-purpose flour in Canada and the US really is all-purpose. You can use it to make bread, cakes and pastry etc.
        Strong flour in the UK has a very similar protein content to all-purpose flour in Canada and the US. About 12 %.Plain flour is about 9%.
        If you are in the US or Canada you could actually use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour but I prefer how the muffins turn out with all-purpose flour, hence the reason it's called for in the recipe.

        Reply
    6. Zach says

      November 23, 2020 at 7:07 am

      Can I let the dough sit overnight to rise? If so, would I need to change anything in the recipe?

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        November 23, 2020 at 10:56 am

        That depends. You could put it in the fridge overnight to proof for the first time, but how much it will slow it down will depend on the temperature of your fridge. The first time you do it will be a bit of an experiment.

        Reply
    7. Linda says

      November 17, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous recipe. They turned out perfect. So soft and fluffy. I really appreciate how well tested your recipes are and you giving weights. Cups never turn out right for me when baking.

      Reply
    8. Sophie says

      November 17, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      Seems like others are also having the issue of the dough being too dry. I followed your recipe exactly and the dough was so dry that it would not even come together into a ball. I more than doubled the amounts of liquid (water and oil), and it was still too dry. Maybe worth re-testing this recipe, since I think this dough should be fairly wet. Comparing with other recipes (vegan and non-vegan), this one has much less liquid.

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        November 17, 2020 at 11:05 pm

        Sorry you had problems, but the flour to liquid ratio is perfect in this recipe. All of my recipes are tested thoroughly by myself and a team of recipe testers before they are published. The number one reason the dough would be dry is that cups were used to measure the flour. They are a highly inaccurate way to measure. Literally every time you fill a cup it will hold a different weight. For example, if you scoop flour up in a cup it will hold over a third more than when you spoon the flour into a cup. If you accidentally shake it down a bit in the cup you will end up with even more. When making bread it is imperative that you measure accurately to get a good result especially with a low hydration dough like this one. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    9. jeannette says

      September 21, 2020 at 4:56 am

      can I just use reg flour

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 21, 2020 at 10:20 am

        That depends what you mean by regular flour. I would say all-purpose flour is regular flour.

        Reply
    10. Claire says

      July 28, 2020 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      Perfection!

      Reply
    11. Julie says

      July 21, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      5 stars
      I'd never tried English muffins before but as you're English and a great chef I knew I should try your recipe the first time I did. We loved them and they will be a regular weekend treat from now on!

      Reply
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    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan comfort food from scratch.

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