{"id":22562,"date":"2023-01-02T14:14:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T21:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/?p=22562"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:22:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T22:22:43","slug":"basic-english-muffins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/basic-english-muffins\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic English Muffins"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>English Muffin Sketch &#8211; review<\/li>\n<li>12 oz ap flour<\/li>\n<li>1\/4 oz active dry yeast<\/li>\n<li>1 TBL sugar<\/li>\n<li>1 tsp salt<\/li>\n<li>1.5 oz dried milk<\/li>\n<li>&#8211;<\/li>\n<li>Mix<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; 10 oz water and 1 TBL shortening<\/li>\n<li>Heat to 120-130\u00ba<\/li>\n<li>Combine and Mix for 3 minutes<\/li>\n<li>Will be gooey<\/li>\n<li>Cover and let rise in fridge 12 hours<\/li>\n<li>Punch down three times<\/li>\n<li>Wipe rings and pan with crisco<\/li>\n<li>Sprinkle inside of rings with cornmeal<\/li>\n<li>Sprinkle on bottom of pan<\/li>\n<li>Put into muffin rings (makes 8-10<\/li>\n<li>Use 2 oz scoop into each ring<\/li>\n<li>Top each with cornmeal or pulverized oatmeal<\/li>\n<li>Rest 60-90 minutes<\/li>\n<li>Cover with parchment and top with another pan<\/li>\n<li>Bake at 400\u00ba for 15 minutes<\/li>\n<li>remove parchment and pan<\/li>\n<li>5 more minutes or until internal temp is 195\u00ba<\/li>\n<li>Cool 10 minutes<\/li>\n<li>Offset spatula to remove<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>A Different Take from Sally&#8217;s Baking Addiction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Here\u2019s What Works:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use melted butter because recipe tests made with softened butter weren\u2019t as flavorful.<\/li>\n<li>Embrace a sticky dough made with *some* whole wheat flour and *some* all-purpose or bread flour.<\/li>\n<li>You will be tempted to add more flour, but don\u2019t. The <strong>high hydration level<\/strong> is key to obtaining that shaggy &amp; airy texture inside.<\/li>\n<li>Let the dough rise on the counter until doubled, about 2 hours. Then let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. This time gives the muffins extra flavor, plus cold dough is MUCH EASIER to work with. (We do the same when making <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/homemade-artisan-bread\/\" rel=\"\">artisan bread<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/no-knead-cranberry-nut-bread\/\">cranberry nut no-knead bread<\/a>, no-knead <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/crusty-no-knead-pizza-bread\/\">pizza bread<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/easy-olive-bread\/\">olive bread<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li>Start the muffins on the stove in a skillet or on a griddle and finish them in the oven. Cook until an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3mL6unM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">instant read thermometer<\/a> reads the center as 200\u00b0F (93\u00b0C). If you don\u2019t have an instant read thermometer, cut a muffin open and if it\u2019s still extra doughy in the center, return to the oven.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>Here\u2019s What Doesn\u2019t Work:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A firm, dry dough will not produce an airy center.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid using ALL whole wheat flour because you may end up with bread hockey pucks.<\/li>\n<li>Do not punch down the dough after it rises.<\/li>\n<li>Do not skip the cornmeal or semolina flour because it\u2019s needed to coat the dough and your hands.<\/li>\n<li>Do not flatten the shaped muffins with force because they will deflate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<header class=\"tasty-recipes-entry-header\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-header-content clearfix\">\n<h2 class=\"tasty-recipes-title\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"h2-color.color h2-transform.text-transform\">Homemade English Muffins<\/h2>\n<p><strong class=\"tasty-recipes-label\">Find lots of great tips for success online<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/honey-wheat-english-muffins\/\">https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/honey-wheat-english-muffins\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-rating-outer\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-rating-inner\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating-stars\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-ratings-buttons tasty-recipes-no-ratings-buttons\" data-tr-default-rating=\"4.8\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\" data-tr-checked=\"1\"> <i class=\"checked\" data-rating=\"5\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-screen-reader\"> 5 Stars <\/span> <\/i> <\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\"> <i class=\"checked\" data-rating=\"4\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-screen-reader\"> 4 Stars <\/span> <\/i> <\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\"> <i class=\"checked\" data-rating=\"3\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-screen-reader\"> 3 Stars <\/span> <\/i> <\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\"> <i class=\"checked\" data-rating=\"2\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-screen-reader\"> 2 Stars <\/span> <\/i> <\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating\"> <i class=\"checked\" data-rating=\"1\"> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-screen-reader\"> 1 Star <\/span> <\/i> <\/span><\/span><\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-rating-label\"><span class=\"rating-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"><span class=\"average\">4.8<\/span> from <span class=\"count\">324<\/span> reviews<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-details\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"author\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"> Author:<\/span> <a class=\"tasty-recipes-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/about-sally-mckenney\/\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-value-color.color\">Sally McKenney<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"prep-time\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"> Prep Time:<\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-prep-time\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-value-color.color\">8 hours, 45 minutes (includes dough rise)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"cook-time\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"> Cook Time:<\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-cook-time\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-value-color.color\">25 minutes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"total-time\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"> Total Time:<\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-total-time\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-value-color.color\">9 hours 10 minutes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"yield\"><span class=\"tasty-recipes-label\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-label-color.color\"> Yield:<\/span> <span class=\"tasty-recipes-yield\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"detail-value-color.color\">12 muffins<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-entry-content\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-description\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-description-body\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"body-color.color\">\n<p><em>These honey wheat English muffins are completely homemade from a simple no-knead 8 ingredient dough. Though the dough rises and is ready in about 2 hours, I strongly recommend refrigerating it for at least 6 hours so your English muffins have better flavor. For best success, review recipe notes, video tutorial, and step-by-step photos (below) before starting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-ingredients\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-ingredients-header\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-ingredients-clipboard-container\">\n<h3 data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"h3-color.color h3-transform.text-transform\">Ingredients<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-ingredients-body\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"body-color.color\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-amount=\"1\">1<\/span> and 1\/4 cups (300ml) <strong>milk<\/strong>, warmed to about 100\u00b0F (38\u00b0C)*<\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"2\">2<\/span> teaspoons (6<span data-amount=\"7\" data-unit=\"g\">g<\/span>)\u00a0<strong>instant\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0<strong>active dry yeast<\/strong>*<\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"3\" data-unit=\"tablespoon\">3 Tablespoons<\/span> (<span data-amount=\"64\" data-unit=\"g\">64g<\/span>)\u00a0<strong>honey<\/strong>*<\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"2\" data-unit=\"tablespoon\">2 Tablespoons<\/span> (<span data-amount=\"28\" data-unit=\"g\">28g<\/span>) <strong>unsalted butter<\/strong>, melted &amp; slightly cooled<\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"1\">1<\/span> large <strong>egg<\/strong>, at room temperature<\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"1\">1<\/span> and 1\/2 teaspoons <strong>salt<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"1\" data-unit=\"cup\">1 cup<\/span> (130g) <strong>whole wheat flour\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"wprm-recipe-ingredient-name\">(spooned &amp; leveled)*<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-amount=\"2\" data-unit=\"cup\">2 cups<\/span> + <span data-amount=\"3\" data-unit=\"tablespoon\">3 Tablespoons<\/span> (280g) <span class=\"wprm-recipe-ingredient-name\"><strong>bread flour <\/strong>or <\/span><strong>all-purpose flour <\/strong><span class=\"wprm-recipe-ingredient-name\">(spooned &amp; leveled)*<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>cornmeal<\/strong> or <strong>semolina flour<\/strong> for handling dough (at least 1\/2 cup (60g))<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-instructions\">\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-instructions-header\">\n<h3 data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"h3-color.color h3-transform.text-transform\">Instructions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-instructions-body\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"body-color.color\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-1\"><strong>Prepare the dough:<\/strong> In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk, yeast, and honey together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *<em>If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon\/silicone spatula. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.*<\/em><\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-2\">Add the butter, egg, salt, whole wheat flour, and 1 cup (about 130g) of the bread flour. Whisk to combine. Add 1 more cup (130g) bread flour and beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Dough will be extremely sticky and like a loose batter. Add remaining flour, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and then beat on low speed for 1 minute to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and then fold the dough together a few times with your silicone spatula. Do not be tempted to add more flour. It\u2019s supposed to be very sticky.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-3\">Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature. Allow to rise until double in size, about 2 hours. The dough will be sticking to the sides of the bowl and have a lot of air bubbles. You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours. The dough will very slightly puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 24 hours.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-4\">Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. One is for the shaped uncooked muffins and the 2nd is for baking the muffins.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-5\"><strong>Shape the muffins: <\/strong>Remove cold dough from the refrigerator\u2014no need to bring it to room temperature. Sprinkle a little cornmeal\/semolina on the surface of the dough and all over your hands. Have more nearby and use whenever things begin getting super sticky. Grab a small handful of dough, about 1\/3 cup of dough or 2.5-3 ounces if you have a kitchen scale, and gently form into a 1-inch thick disc that\u2019s about 3.5 inches in diameter\u2014doesn\u2019t need to be perfect\u2014and place onto lined baking sheet. You\u2019re basically shaping them as you\u2019d shape hamburger patties. Repeat with remaining dough for a total of about 12. Sprinkle the tops of the shaped discs lightly with more cornmeal and cover to rest for 20 minutes.<em> (Do not extend this time or the muffins will puff too much.)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-6\">Meanwhile, as the shaped muffins rest, get your stove ready. Heat a griddle to medium heat or about 325\u00b0F (163\u00b0C) or use a large skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. If your griddle\/skillet\/cast iron is nonstick or seasoned, there\u2019s no need to grease it. If not nonstick, grease with a little butter. Once greased pan\/griddle is heated, sprinkle lightly with cornmeal\/semolina flour and begin to cook the muffins in the next step.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-7\"><strong>Read this entire step before starting to cook the muffins.<\/strong> Using a flat spatula, carefully transfer however many muffins can fit on your pan\/griddle with at least 2 inches between each because muffins will puff up as they cook. Gently flatten them around the edges with the back of your spatula, being careful to not flatten too hard which would deflate them. Cook for 7-8 minutes and then flip over, gently flatten again, and cook for another 7-8 minutes. (No need to grease or sprinkle more cornmeal\/semolina when flipping.) This cook time is a general guideline because griddles\/stoves\/pans can heat differently and\/or unevenly. You want to cook until golden brown on each side and edges seem set. If muffins seem to be over-browning quickly, slightly turn down the stove\u2019s heat. And, as the muffins cook, you can start preheating the oven (next step). Transfer cooked muffins to the unused prepared baking sheet.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-8\">Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F (177\u00b0C).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-9\">Bake for 8-11 minutes or until an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3mL6unM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener sponsored\">instant read thermometer<\/a> reads the center as 200\u00b0F (93\u00b0C). If you don\u2019t have an instant read thermometer, cut a muffin open after 8 minutes and if it\u2019s still extra doughy in the center, return to the oven until baked through. I usually bake them for at least 10 minutes.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-10\">Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before slicing and handling. To preserve the craggy texture, slice the honey wheat English muffins in half using a serrated knife. Or you can slice around the edges with a regular sharp knife and then pry the two halves apart with a fork. Toast halves in the toaster if desired (taste best that way!) and serve warm with desired toppings such as butter, <a href=\"https:\/\/sallysbakingaddiction.com\/homemade-honey-butter\/\">honey butter<\/a>, jam, apple butter, or other topping of choice. Muffins can also be used for breakfast sandwiches or eggs Benedict.<\/li>\n<li id=\"instruction-step-11\">Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days and then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After that, it\u2019s best to freeze them. Freezing instructions in notes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-notes\">\n<h3 data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"h3-color.color h3-transform.text-transform\">Notes<\/h3>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-notes-body\" data-tasty-recipes-customization=\"body-color.color\">\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Make Ahead Instructions:<\/strong> Prepare the dough through step 3 and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before continuing with step 4. No need to bring dough to room temperature before you begin to shape the muffins\u2014cold dough is easier to work with!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make Ahead Instructions \u2013 Freezing:<\/strong> Baked English muffins freeze well up to 3 months. You can freeze in a large container or freezer bag or wrap individually in plastic wrap. Thaw by defrosting in the microwave or setting out on the counter to come to room temperature. For best taste and texture, slice and toast them after thawing. You can also freeze the English muffins after they come off the stove (after step 7). Cool completely and then freeze in a large container or freezer bag or wrap individually in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw and then continue with step 8.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Tools<\/strong>: Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Griddle or Skillet | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Flat Spatula | Instant Read Thermometer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Milk:<\/strong> Whole milk is great, but you can use any milk\u2014non dairy or dairy + any milk fat.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yeast:<\/strong> You can use active-dry or instant yeast. The instructions are the same no matter which you use. Note that 2 teaspoons (6g) is less than 1 standard packet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Honey:<\/strong> You can substitute the honey with granulated sugar, but reduce it down to 2 Tablespoons (25g).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flour:<\/strong> This ratio of whole wheat to white flour is best. I do not recommend using more whole wheat flour because the texture of the English muffins will change. For the white flour, you can use bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend bread flour for the best texture.<\/li>\n<li>Adapted from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kingarthurbaking.com\/recipes\/english-muffins-recipe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">King Arthur Baking<\/a>. I reduced the flour, reduced the butter and switched to melted, used some whole wheat flour, swapped sugar for honey, and reduced the milk.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tasty-recipes-source-link\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; English Muffin Sketch &#8211; review 12 oz ap flour 1\/4 oz active dry yeast 1 TBL sugar 1 tsp salt 1.5 oz dried milk &#8211; Mix &#8211; 10 oz water and 1 TBL shortening Heat to 120-130\u00ba Combine and Mix for 3 minutes Will be gooey Cover and let rise in fridge 12 hours &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/basic-english-muffins\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Basic English Muffins&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[145,219],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bread-starch","category-sallys-baking-addiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22562"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23785,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22562\/revisions\/23785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grandpacooks.com\/recipes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}