Comments
  • dave December 6, 2010 at 11:46 am

    have you tried Alton’s English muffins? I’ve made them on multiple occasions and they are way more popular then store bought. I will give these a try next time I need engmuff

  • *susan* December 6, 2010 at 11:52 am

    I have been making this recipe for several years (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/breakfast-sandwich-muffins-recipe) and love it. Biggest difference appears to be the addition of baking powder in your recipe. What is the powder bringing to the table?

    • ruhlman December 6, 2010 at 2:33 pm

      more bubbles for holelier crumb

  • Chad December 6, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    I used ratio bread recipe added a bit of baking powder and rolled and cut like doughnuts without the hole, then “griddled”. They weren’t quite as holey as I wanted, but, they were a vehicle for homemade canadian bacon and homemade hollandaise and worked quite well. Completely in house eggs benedict was a hit! (perhaps that is your challenge!?)

  • Jason Sandeman December 6, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    I have never thought to make English muffins or crumpets. I enjoyed them growing up with fresh preserves from my grandfather’s garden. Unfortunately, my diabetes does not like crumpets or English muffins, except in small little bits. I will keep this recipe in mind for when company comes over though. If you will excuse me, it is now time for my tea!

  • Natalie Sztern December 6, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Jason, there is nothing wrong with one English muffin (of course no preserves allowed)….but who can eat just one?

  • Elise December 6, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    I made Peter Reinhart’s muffins but somehow I made the dough too dry. I want to try his again, and I will also try this one. I do love English muffins!

  • Celeste December 6, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    Reinhart’s recipe in Artisan Breads every day calls for baking soda to be folded into an aged batter just before cooking. It works pretty well.

    • Marlene December 6, 2010 at 4:00 pm

      I tested with baking soda, Michael tested with baking powder. I don’t think there was a noticable difference between the two, but they need one or the other for the holiness!

  • Dennis December 6, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    David Chang has an English muffin recipe in his Momofuku cookbook

  • My Little Expat Kitchen December 6, 2010 at 12:59 pm

    I’ve never come across a recipe for English muffins and I’ve always wanted to make them from scratch. Thank you for this recipe and for the very helpful tips for their preparation.
    Magda

  • NancyB December 6, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    I had a real yen for crumpets one day–went out & bought griddle rings & whipped up Beard on Bread’s recipe. They were a massive failure & I still don’t know where I went wrong. The dough was way too thick & tasted like thick pancakes gone wrong. Didn’t even vaguely resemble crumpets. So I whipped up another batch, this time thinning the dough. These were simply thin pancakes gone wrong. Wish someone would come up with a decent recipe.

    There’s a lovely little crumpet shop on 1st Avenue just outside the Pike Place Market in Seattle. When I lived closer I used to go occasionally. I’d have their Green Eggs (scrambled eggs & pesto on a toasted crumpet) & buy some crumpets for the freezer. I think I need to go again. Hope the shop’s still there!

  • JeffD December 6, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    Serendipity! This went into the oven right before I saw this post:

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/PrintRecipe?RID=266&radio=2

    Makes a whole loaf of muffins in one shot.

  • utenzi December 6, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    Those English muffins look great. I’m going to experiment with this tonight. Thanks for posting this recipe.

  • ruhlman December 6, 2010 at 2:36 pm

    Any of you folks who try the recipe, pls report back with results, good or bad!

    • JB December 8, 2010 at 11:39 am

      I tried out your recipe– as far as shape and even flavor were concerned, it came out beautifully. But somehow the yeast smell did not go away, which made it slightly unpleasant to eat… maybe I did not cook the muffins long enough?

    • klaborda December 8, 2010 at 1:33 pm

      Do you foresee issues with the heated butter/sugar from Step 1 killing the yeast? Or will the milk cool it enough not to kill of the yeast?

      I just wanted to check in with that since it wasn’t too clear in the recipe.

      Awesome recipe, looking forward to experimenting with it!

  • Amber December 6, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    A question: I am told that you can’t get the nooks and crannies using real milk, that you need to use powdered milk which I can’t get where I live. But your muffins look like they are full of them. Am I right? How would they compare to say? Thomas` in terms of nooks and crannies? I know this may sound wierd, but those holes are the reason I like English muffins. When in London, the muffins were smooth and dense, I hated them.

    And finally, do you think fresh yeast would work?

    Thank you!

    • ruhlman December 6, 2010 at 4:40 pm

      don’t know about powdered milk but doesn’t sound right. i used to make this recipe with one ounce/28 grams fresh yeast

  • Jan December 6, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    While I love to bake, current home logistics don’t encourage it. So forgive me for asking if you’ve tried Bay’s whole wheat English muffins. White flour is not my friend. I’m surprised we have Bay’s here and I’m not familiar with them, but I’m hoping to learn that the whole wheat will not be disappointing. Anyone?

  • Amber December 6, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    and p.s. yes I do realize you don’t like Thomas`. Just looking for a comparison.

  • KristineB December 6, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    This is great timing. I’m planning on making eggs benedict Christmas morning. I use your Ratio recipe for my hollandaise, and wanted to make my own muffins as well. Thanks.

    • ruhlman December 6, 2010 at 4:41 pm

      hope you’ll cure your canadian bacon as well!

      • KristineB December 7, 2010 at 8:39 am

        Checked out the recipe in Charcuterie. I received my pink salt awhile ago, so now I have to, don’t I?

  • Kristen England December 6, 2010 at 3:15 pm

    Michael,
    Have you tried doing crumpets? My English muffins always come out well but the crumpets are bloody sad little things…

    • ruhlman December 6, 2010 at 4:41 pm

      haven’t tried crumpets but we need to work on that!

      • Marlene December 6, 2010 at 6:14 pm

        Oh oh. I feel endless rounds of crumpets coming on!

  • Rhonda December 6, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    gorgeous!

  • Melissa December 6, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    I have a stainless steel pan that I will probably use for these (can’t WAIT to try it!). I have a question for clarification: do you add butter to the pan and then cornmeal for frying, or do you just add cornmeal alone? And the cornmeal won’t burn or anything?

    • ruhlman December 7, 2010 at 9:26 am

      no fat in the pan, only corn meal, and no it didn’t burn. moderate heat. you don’t want the muffins to burn either.

  • Michelle C. December 6, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    Just in time – out of English muffins and just loaded up the freezer with home cured and smoked Buckboard Bacon (used Hi Mountain’s cure and our Big Green Egg).

    Any suggestions for a “Crispy, deep-fried pork belly” cure and process similar to what Melissa Kelly serves at Primo? I have 2 pork bellies in the freezer after having tried the belly this past summer.

    • ruhlman December 7, 2010 at 9:27 am

      key to crispy skin is to braise or confit first, then finish in high heat till crisp.

  • Justin Watt December 6, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    When I learned that “just seven people worldwide know the recipe and manufacturing process that give english muffins their trademark ‘nooks and crannies” (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-07-29-english-muffin-lawsuit_N.htm), I had no idea Michael Ruhlman was one of them!

  • Throwback at Trapper Creek December 6, 2010 at 10:19 pm

    I make mine with sourdough, there is a little yeast in the starter. They are good and disappear fast!
    http://matronofhusbandry.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/sourdough-english-muffins/

    • ruhlman December 7, 2010 at 9:32 am

      Not really sourdough if you’re using commercial yeast as a kind of preferment. but love the look of your muffins in that cast iron pan!

  • E-beth December 6, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    this recipe is more a crumpet than a true english muffin. A true english muffin is cut out of a rolled out very soft dough like a biscuit, then they stand freeform on the griddle to bake. when you need a ring, you have crumpets. I have made english muffins for decades and tested many ratios when I was getting a recipe for my baking classes. There is no contest between commercial and homemade english muffins.

    and just a note. even one english muffin made with wheat flour can be a problem for a diabetic.

  • Cowgirl Chef December 7, 2010 at 12:09 am

    There’s an American who sells whole wheat English muffins at the bio market on blvd Raspail every Sunday, and they’re wonderful — but now that I know how easy they are to make, I think I’ll stay inside, where it’s nice and warm, and make a batch of my own! Thanks, Michael!

  • Melissa December 7, 2010 at 12:37 am

    I absolutely love making bread, I’m going to give this a go!

  • Amber December 7, 2010 at 4:04 am

    Here is where I first read about it. Never tried it since I can’t get it here as a I mentioned.
    http://www.shesimmers.com/2009/03/homemade-english-muffins-complete-with.html

    But I will definitely try yours as they look DIVINE.

  • LimeCake December 7, 2010 at 5:15 am

    I recently tried making crumpets through a recipe on the King Arthur website. I used egg rings. This recipe looks similar. Will definitely try this and compare. Thanks!

  • bunkycooks December 7, 2010 at 8:57 am

    I am afraid that I would be addicted to these if I started making them. I am surprised at how simple they look to make. There are not too many things that smell or taste better than freshly baked bread!

  • ruhlman December 7, 2010 at 9:28 am

    imagine, a lawsuit over the tasteless Thomas’s English muffin.

  • lisaiscooking December 7, 2010 at 10:27 am

    I’ve tried the sourdough english muffins from the La Brea bread book. It’s a grainy, hearty kind of dough, and it wasn’t enough of a classic english muffin for me. I’ve been wanting to try some other versions, so yours is on the list now.

  • THE TomH December 7, 2010 at 10:36 am

    Michael

    Thank you for your recipe. I tried the Alton Brown version and it wasn’t working great for me – I wasn’t getting the hole-y result I wanted. I bought a couple sets of those rings for my birthday last year. I look forward to giving yours a try, I think the baking powder addition will make a huge difference.

    Now if anyone has a good recipe for making Austrian Semmel rolls, I’d be even happier. I was there the last 10 days and got a Semmel dough recipe from the village baker, but she uses a large conveyer cutter and baking machine. I’ll try it and if it works well, submit it.

    Go Browns

    Tom H.

  • Paul December 7, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    Michael … to make sourdough ones just substitute a 100% (equal weights flour and water), refreshed till vigorous, starter for about 1/3 of the original flour and liquid. So, replace 4 oz. of the milk and 4 oz. of the flour with 8 oz of 100% starter.

  • Rachelino December 7, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    Oh dear. I know food isn’t donna’s favorite subject to photograph, but she is so good at it. That buttered english muffin photo on top makes me want to jump through the screen, and it’s just bread and butter on a neutral-colored plate!

  • kay December 7, 2010 at 5:11 pm

    congrats on the english muffins.

    We have a breakfast place here in McMinnville that makes everything from scratch including english muffins. I bet if you called the Crescent Cafe, cook/co-owner Danny would happily give you the recipe; they are to die for (but then again so is almost all things breakfast that he makes, especially his fried cornmeal, swoon).

  • joe s December 7, 2010 at 9:11 pm

    you need a print recipe function!

  • Johnna Gale December 8, 2010 at 4:32 am

    I was wondering the other day about english muffins and how you would make them. These look delicious, and in winter cooking them on the griddle is so appealing. I’ll have to give them a try soon.

  • Kiran December 8, 2010 at 11:24 am

    I’d always assumed English muffins to be a difficult baking process. But this looks simple! Thanks for sharing the recipe Michael :)

  • EdBakesBread December 8, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    Tried out the recipe and then enjoyed the results with both butter and preserves.

    Here are some pictures of the journey from start to finish:

    http://s920.photobucket.com/albums/ad42/HossNH/English%20Muffins/?albumview=slideshow&direction=reverse

    Next time I’ll decrease my griddle temp– seemed like the second side got a bit too done before everything cooked through.

    Overall, nice taste and very easy to make! Thanks, Michael.

  • David December 8, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    Those look amazing, just like the ones my mom used to make. My company sentenced me to South Carolina about a year ago and I’m so sick of mush and dry greasy biscuits I can’t stand it. I’ll try and make some soon. BTW mom used washed tuna cans for forms.

  • Julie Fether December 9, 2010 at 11:01 pm

    OMG, the 6th was my birthday and I was considering my next adventure in my baking world to make my own English muffins whilst at Kitchen Kaboodle in Portland, Oregon and lo and behold – the God has spoken! Thank you!! The best Birthday present!

  • Michelle December 10, 2010 at 2:11 am

    Nothing better than a fresh English muffin. The Mud Street Cafe in Eureka Springs, Arkansas serves great English Muffins. Was wondering how long these will keep and if they could be frozen. Always thought these would be difficult to make. Daughter loves Engligh muffins but all we get here are nasty Thomas and she won’t eat those. Will have to give this recipe a try.

  • Nellie - Sockertussen December 10, 2010 at 8:32 am

    These muffins looks amazing!
    I will try your recipe!
    Come by my blog and maybe I can inspire you as well =)

  • rockandroller December 10, 2010 at 8:53 am

    Bay’s are awesome! But these look terrific! I have been trying to turn people on to Bay’s muffins for years.

  • bryan December 10, 2010 at 10:17 am

    Thanks Michael, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The muffins turned out really well, even with my lack of skill as a baker. My dough was definitely a dough, bearing no resemblance to pancake batter. I think I packed my cups of flour a bit tight (one of these days I will get a scale). I ended up finishing them all in the oven, as my test case got a little to crisp on the outside by the time the inside was cooked thoroughly. No rings here, free form worked fine. Ended up with 13 muffins ,which are now gone and provided a great medium for some homemade jam that my wife brought home last weekend.

  • Casey Angelova December 10, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    Just made this recipe. They turned out great! With the first few, I accidentally used 1/3 of a cup, but the rest were with 1/4 cup and they were better, but I found the best were when I used about 25% less of a 1/4 of a cup. I made molded ones using some round cookie cutters (I only had one of each size, so it was a slow process) and free form ones too. I agree that the free-form look better. They were moister and more tender than I am used to (** cough** Thomas’s). I will definitely make these again. I used them for an Egg’s Benedict dinner! The kids loved them too! Looking forward to the sourdough version.

  • Casey Angelova December 11, 2010 at 2:45 am

    Just made this recipe. They turned out great! With the first few, I accidentally used 1/3 of a cup, but the rest were with 1/4 cup and they were better, but I found the best were when I used about 25% less of a 1/4 of a cup. I made molded ones using some round cookie cutters (I only had one of each size, so it was a slow process) and free form ones too. I agree that the free-form looked better. They were moister and more tender than I am used to (** cough** Thomas’s). I will definitely make these again. I used them for an Egg’s Benedict dinner! The kids loved them too! Looking forward to the sourdough version.

  • Josh H December 11, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    I made these this morning, opting to make the batter last night and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The muffins were fantastic, less chewy and with a better crumb than store brands. I’m not sure if it mattered, but when I added the milk to the butter and sugar, the mixture was noticeably cold. I chose to heat the mixture on the stove to 120F to ensure the yeast would bloom. By morning, the batter had doubled in size, so I guess it worked. I added the baking soda, but I’m not sure that it was needed since I think I lost some air by mixing it into the batter. Either way, the muffins had noticeable nooks and crannies, and my family loved them! The recipe is going into frequent rotation for weekend breakfasts.

  • moitz December 11, 2010 at 11:02 pm

    I’ve got a bowl of these chilling in my fridge for tomorrow morning. I accidentally added the baking soda and water already, c’est la vie. Anyone have a guess as to if I can add a tiny bit more in the morning, or will that give it an overpowering soda taste?

  • Melissa December 12, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Ok, I made ‘em! I had a few minor flubs, including when I coated the bottom of my pan with cornmeal – it burned like a mofo. A sprinkling is definitely sufficient! I didn’t use rings, and for the most part they turned out round (although not nearly as uniform as yours). They taste GREAT; I never knew an english muffin could be so tasty, actually.

    The dough is a bit of pain to work with, though. I felt a bit like the Griswalds when they were covered in tree sap.

  • Melissa December 13, 2010 at 11:20 am

    I tried this english muffin recipe over the weekend and it turned out pretty well. It’s not as airy as I was hoping (not as good like a Bay’s) but it still tastes good. I’m thinking maybe it needs a bit more baking powder? Could this be due to the Colorado high altitude?

  • Judy December 13, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    Made these on Saturday (11th) and they were a hit. I’ve made English muffins before using other recipes, but this one is my favorite. Served them with poached eggs and Hollandaise; leftovers were toasted. Delicious every way. Thanks for posting.

  • Peter December 13, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    I made a batch over the weekend using an old electric grill. I found 300 degrees to work best – it did not burn the corn meal too much. Maybe a little closer to 8 minutes per side cooked them all the way through. Great taste. Best part is I can make them bigger than the store bought ones and so my eggs Benedicts are bigger and more satisfying.

  • Tom Saaristo December 14, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    I live across the street from the Bay’s English Muffin factory here in Chicago. They make a sourdough version that isn’t always available, but when it is, it is my #1 choice. I’m jonesing to try to make my own sourdough English muffins, but do I really need sourdough starter sitting about, tempting me at every turn? I’m not sure

  • Rob R December 18, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    Ruhlman,

    I finally got to make these today. They are great. I usually use the KAF recipe and though they have great flavor, I always ended with a finer crumb and smaller holes. I do like the KAF muffins for burgers!!!!

    I made the dough the night before and let it rise in my garage (40-45 degrees last night. I then let it rise again as it came to kitchen temperature this morning. My dough ended up thicker than the images above. Perhaps I didnt allow or adjust for some autolyse? (I had to cut them with a ring) They cooked up great! Not quite as airy as I’d hoped but they definately have bigger holes. Next time I’ll work on a wetter dough. The baking powder really helped! Flavor is great.

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  • LimeCake December 18, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    Thanks for this recipe! I halved it and it was still really awesome! Better than anything store-bought.

  • Apple December 20, 2010 at 10:09 am

    Made these this morning, and they’re delicious! It took some major fussing with the heat, tho’ – I overestimated what “moderate” meant, and the first few came out weird. But after I got the heat low enough, things went swimmingly. Thank you for the recipe =D

  • Apple December 20, 2010 at 10:10 am

    Made these this morning, and they’re delicious! It took some major fussing with the heat, tho’ – I overestimated what “moderate” meant, and the first few came out weird. But after I got the heat low enough, things went swimmingly. Thank you for the recipe!

  • Marna December 29, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    Oh, these are FABULOUS! I’ve made Reinhart’s recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice a few times, and while those are better than anything you can get in a store, THESE are decadent. I love them, my husband loves them – total win! I am definitely going to make again and would love to see a sourdough version.

  • m'boom December 30, 2010 at 9:11 pm

    Isn’t a package of yeast 2 1/4 tsp? Could you sub semolina for the cornmeal? thanks

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  • Marcela January 6, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    I failed – today I was thinking how fun it would be to have breakfast for dinner. These english muffins looked so good I decided to try them. They came out so flat that my husband actually asked when he saw the table set up “are you making toast or something to go with the eggs”. This was because the muffins looked like panckakes.
    What did I do wrong?? Was my dough not thick enough, was it the yeast??? Help please I want to make these again, but it would be helpful to know where I messed up.
    Thanks Marcela

  • ChefCitron January 12, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Can’t wait to try these! The Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley CA ( across from Chez Panisse) makes amazing homemade English Muffins…with a slight sourdough tang. Ummph- delicious! The recipe is in their cookbook; has anyone tried it?

  • Emily Elizabeth January 13, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I got the CIA’s Breakfasts and Brunches book last year and love making their english muffins, always with an overnight rise so we can throw them in the cast iron pan in the morning. They were a hit with the family for Christmas breakfast of eggs bennedict. I found the recipe online here:
    http://www.parade.com/food/recipes/parade/english-muffins.html
    No baking soda/powder, but they still have beautiful “nooks and crannies” (the picture on the link above doesn’t really do them justice) and they have a much drier dough, which you can pick up and form by hand rather than pouring into circles.

  • Mary P. January 20, 2011 at 9:50 am

    I have made sourdough English muffins that turned out pretty well, though not as holey as I like – they tasted great though. I am going to experiment using your recipe only tweaking it to sourdough to see what happens. I noticed from the pics that your dough is much wetter than the dough from the recipe I used. I am hoping this looseness may make a big difference in the dough’s ability to create the requisite holes. What I will do is combine the butter, egg, sourdough starter (about 1/2 to 1 c.) to the milk, then add that to the flour/sugar/salt (may need less flour), mix till combined and allow it to ferment 8 to 24 hours till it’s nice and bubbly. Just before baking I’ll stir in the baking powder/water mixture and see how it goes.

  • Tracig January 20, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    I made them this evening and I like the free form ones best, the ones in the ring were doughy so I needed to bake them to complete the baking process. Overall they were very good, I just want to tweet the baking process and size a little.

  • elra January 22, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Hi Michael,
    I found a recipe of Sourdough English muffin that you might be interested in. Her recipe uses mature 100%-hydration sourdough starter for the sponge, but she also uses 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda for the final dough. I must add that, I have been using so many of her sourdough recipe and never failed. However, I haven’t tried her sourdough muffin. Here is the link to her website :
    http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/03/30/tangy-english-muffins/

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