Easy English Muffins

Real English muffins are griddled, not baked, and that’s the whole secret to their distinctive nooks-and-crannies texture. The dough cooks slowly between two flat surfaces (the hot griddle and the bottom of a heavy lid or just gravity), trapping steam inside and creating the holey, rugged interior that catches melted butter when you split and toast them.

This recipe leans on a yeasted dough enriched with shortening (which gives the muffins their soft, slightly chewy bite) and a long rise to develop flavor. A coating of cornmeal on the bottom and top gives that signature crackle and prevents sticking.

Made properly, they beat the supermarket version by a wide margin. Made in batches and frozen pre-split (the recipe specifies it), you’ve got fresh-baked breakfast bread for weeks.

Pro Tips

• Cool the boiling water mixture to lukewarm before adding yeast (the recipe is specific). Hot water kills yeast; cold water won’t activate it.
• Roll the dough to a full ⅜ inch thick. Thinner muffins griddle into flat discs without rise; thicker dough won’t cook through the center.
• Use a 3-inch round cutter or a clean tin can. Dust the cutter with flour between cuts to prevent the dough from clinging.
• Keep griddle heat at the temperature the recipe calls for. Higher heat scorches the cornmeal before the inside cooks; lower heat dries them out.
• Split with a fork, never a knife (the recipe specifies it). Forking creates the irregular tear that holds butter; a knife cuts smooth and ruins the texture.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of honey instead of sugar for a slightly sweeter, more aromatic flavor.
• Replace 2 cups of flour with whole wheat for a heartier, nuttier muffin.
• Stir 1 cup of raisins plus 2 teaspoons of cinnamon into the dough for cinnamon-raisin English muffins.