Name: English muffins
Yield: About 14 muffins
Cuisine: England; contemporary home method
Ingredients: 180 mL Milk; 120 mL Water; 30 mL Granulated sugar; 7 g Active dry yeast; 360 g All-purpose flour Plus dusting; 5 mL Salt; 42 g Unsalted butter Melted, cooled; 1 large Egg Room temperature; As needed Cornmeal or semolina; A little Neutral oil

Method

01 · Activate
5–7 min
Use: A
Warm the milk, water and sugar until lukewarm; stir in yeast.
Ready when: Foamy
01 ActivateLet the yeast mixture stand until a fine foam appears.
02 · Mix
About 7 min
Use: B; C; A
Whisk B. Add C to A; paddle into B, low then medium-high.
Ready when: Elastic, sticky dough
02 MixBeat until the dough becomes elastic and sticky.
03 · Rise
About 1 h
Use: Dough
Cover in oiled bowl.
Ready when: Doubled
03 RiseCover the dough and let it rise until doubled.
04 · Cut
About 30 min proof
Use: Dough
Pat just under 2.5 cm thick. Cut 6.5 cm rounds; rework scraps gently. Set on cornmeal-dusted trays; cover.
Ready when: Puffy
04 CutCut thick rounds and let them become puffy on cornmeal-dusted trays.
05 · Cook
6–8 min each side
Use: Muffins; cornmeal
Heat skillet; dust. Add 3–4 rounds; cover and reduce to medium-low. Flip when bottoms brown and tops dry.
Ready when: Brown faces; centre about 93°C
05 CookCook gently in a covered skillet, turning when the first side is brown.
06 · Finish
Check after a few min; up to about 10 min
Use: Muffins
If browned outside but underdone inside, finish in a 175°C oven until centre reaches about 93°C. Cool; fork-split. Renew pan cornmeal between batches.
Ready when: Interior set
06 FinishCool completely, then fork-split to reveal the uneven crumb.

What to look for

Stage	Look / feel for	Needs attention
Dough	Sticky but elastic	Adding flour to make it dry
Cooking	Matte top before turning	Brown base with wet top

Troubleshooting

If you see this	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Brown crust; doughy centre	Heat too high or muffins thick	Finish gently in the oven	Lower burner; keep thickness even
Dense crumb	Rough shaping	Handle gently	Keep dough puffy
Burnt cornmeal	Residue accumulates	Wipe pan between batches	Renew dusting

Keep thickness consistent. The 93°C centre check and optional oven finish are additional guidance from Brinna Sands’s bread-flour version, not a change to Kanell’s dough.

Ingredient choices & substitutions

Ingredient	Specified type	Brand	Status
Flour	Plain all-purpose	None	Specified type
Dusting	Cornmeal or semolina	None	Source alternatives

Ingredient	Alternative / ratio	Adjust handling	Likely outcome
Cornmeal	SemolinaSame dusting role	Cover contact surfaces lightly	Different grain texture
AP flour	Another plain AP flourEqual weight initially	Retain a sticky dough	Absorption may vary

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

The KAF formula has a milk-and-water preferment, no egg and two bowl folds. Kanell uses an egg-enriched direct dough and covered skillet cooking; timings are not interchangeable.

Cook / recipe	Use	What differs
John KanellPreppy KitchenEnglish Muffins	Selected formula and method · Credited developer; lineage unresolved	Direct dough; egg; 360 g flour
Individual developer not identified on recipe pageKing Arthur BakingEnglish Muffins	Comparison and fork-splitting guidance · Separate publication; independent origin unresolved	190 g preferment flour + 120 g final flour; no egg
Brinna SandsKing Arthur BakingBread Flour English Muffins	Additional doneness check and oven rescue · Different enriched formula; technique reference only	Bread flour; different dough quantities

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
6.5 cm cutter	Use a similarly sized food-safe round cutter or cut simple squares with a knife; shape and size affect baking time.
Covered skillet	Use a frying pan of similar diameter and weight. Keep a lid if specified; check oven and broiler ratings if it goes in the oven.
Two trays	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Optional food thermometer — internal doneness	A basic digital food thermometer is enough for internal doneness. No thermometer is needed just to bring ingredients to room temperature.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
6.5 cm cutter	Use a similarly sized food-safe round cutter or cut simple squares with a knife; shape and size affect baking time.
Covered skillet	Use a frying pan of similar diameter and weight. Keep a lid if specified; check oven and broiler ratings if it goes in the oven.
Two trays	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Optional food thermometer — internal doneness	A basic digital food thermometer is enough for internal doneness. No thermometer is needed just to bring ingredients to room temperature.

English muffins

English muffins

English muffins

Method

01 · Activate

02 · Mix

03 · Rise

04 · Cut

05 · Cook

06 · Finish

What to look for

Troubleshooting

English muffins

How do I make it?

Wake up the yeast

Make the dough

Let it rise

Cut and rise again

Cook

Finish and cool

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

English muffins at a glance

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Brown crust; doughy centre	Heat too high or muffins thick	Finish gently in the oven Lower burner; keep thickness even
Dense crumb	Rough shaping	Handle gently Keep dough puffy
Burnt cornmeal	Residue accumulates	Wipe pan between batches Renew dusting

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A	Milk	180 mL
A	Water	120 mL
A	Granulated sugar	30 mL
A	Active dry yeast	7 g
B	All-purpose flour	360 g	Plus dusting
B	Salt	5 mL
C	Unsalted butter	42 g	Melted, cooled
C	Egg	1 large	Room temperature
Finish	Cornmeal or semolina	As needed
Bowl	Neutral oil	A little

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A	Milk	180 mL
A	Water	120 mL
A	Granulated sugar	30 mL
A	Active dry yeast	7 g
B	All-purpose flour	360 g	Plus dusting
B	Salt	5 mL
C	Unsalted butter	42 g	Melted, cooled
C	Egg	1 large	Room temperature
Finish	Cornmeal or semolina	As needed
Bowl	Neutral oil	A little