Crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy inside, these homemade buttermilk English muffins are surprisingly simple to make, with a rich tang and a depth of flavor you’ll never find in store bought versions. With just a handful of basic ingredients you can create a batch of these nooks and crannies English muffins just in time for breakfast!

WHY I MADE THESE HOMEMADE ENGLISH MUFFINS

I’m not a big breakfast person, but lately I’ve been experimenting with different breakfasts that I can meal prep ahead of time and eat throughout the week. Of course, my Wholesome Quinoa Breakfast Porridge is a great healthy breakfast to make, especially during the colder months, but this week I really wanted to meal prep breakfast sandwiches so that I could have a heartier start to my mornings.

My first thought was to buy those classic English Muffins at the grocery store and make the rest of the ingredients for my freezer breakfast sandwich at home, but you guys know how I operate–if I can make the whole thing the scratch, I will. Or, at least, I might as well try. And y’all these homemade buttermilk English muffins do not disappoint!

They are so much more flavorful than the store bought version, and they’re not too hard to make either. Actually, I really liked that I was able to cook these English muffins completely on the stove for just about 7 minutes per side, which is way faster than most other bread recipes.

I really enjoyed making this buttermilk English muffins from scratch and I know you will too. They are tender, fluffy, delicious breakfast bites of heaven!

MY BUTTERMILK ENGLISH MUFFINS RECIPE

The full ingredients list and directions on how to make these homemade English muffins is in the recipe card below. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the blog post to get the full recipe!

Here is the gist of it:

• Warm the buttermilk in a small pot.
• Add the active dry yeast, water, and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add the flour and salt, and mix with a spoon until a dough forms.
• With the stand mixer on, drizzle in the warmed buttermilk.
• Add the soft butter, and continue kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and proof the dough for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to pat it out into a ½” thick rectangle. Stamp out the English muffins.
• Place the muffins on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and rest the muffins for 1 more hour.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-low for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle additional cornmeal in the pan, and place 4 English muffins in the pan. Cover, turn the heat low, and cook for 6-7 minutes per side, until the bottoms are browned.

BUTTERMILK ENGLISH MUFFINS KEY INGREDIENTS

• Buttermilk: You can certainly make this recipe with regular milk instead, but buttermilk is sooo good for this recipe because it’s thicker and more flavorful, which gives these buttermilk English muffins a better taste and texture. Commercial buttermilk is made by adding lactic acid to milk, which ferments the milk and produces that sour taste that we’re familiar with. That taste and texture is what makes buttermilk so good for baking!
• Yeast: Our leavening agent for these homemade English muffins, yeast will give our muffins great rise so they come out bouncy, fluffy, and perfectly tender. I know working with yeast can be difficult for some people, so check out my blog post 6 Reasons Why Your Dough Didn’t Rise to troubleshoot and find my best tips.
• Honey: Yeast is a living organism, and mixing active yeast with a bit of sugar essentially feeds it and helps our yeast to bloom! You will not taste the honey in this recipe because it is such a small amount.
• Flour: I used all purpose flour for this recipe because it’s what I had on hand at the time, but bread flour is a fantastic option too for an English muffin that is even more tender and chewy (in a good way) thanks to the higher protein content in the bread flour!
• Cornmeal: Helps the English muffins not stick with cooking, and gives them that classic crunchy exterior.

HOW LONG DO THESE BUTTERMILK MUFFINS TAKE TO MAKE?

These English muffins cook up a lot faster than most bread recipes, so overall I think this recipe is pretty speedy! The bulk of this recipe time is just allowing the dough to rest and proof.

Here’s an overview of how long this recipe takes:

• Prep time: 30 mins
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Rest time: 2 hours

In total, these English muffins will take about 3 hours from start to finish, which includes a 2 hour rest time! So, most of the time dedicated to this recipe is just allowing the dough to rise.

HOW TO STORE THESE ENGLISH MUFFINS?

Store leftover English muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Split the English muffins in half and toast the muffins get them warm and fresh again before enjoying!

You can also freeze these English muffins for longer storage. Wrap them in foil and store in an airtight plastic bag to prevent moisture from seeping in. Toast the English muffins from frozen before enjoying.

BUTTERMILK ENGLIGH MUFFINS FAQ

1. Can I substitute the buttermilk?

Yes. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes. The flavor will be slightly less rich, but it works well.

You can also just use regular milk, too!

2. What if I don’t have a stand mixer?

A stand mixer makes kneading easier, but you can knead by hand for about 10–12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be more work though, so a stand mixer is a good investment here!

3. What kind of flour works best?

Both bread flour and all purpose flour work well for this recipe. Bread flour gives the English muffins a more bready and slightly chewier texture, while all-purpose flour produces a softer crumb.

I love both options, but if I had to choose one I would go with bread flour.

4. Why didn’t my dough double in size during the first rise?

We use heavier ingredients like butter and buttermilk in this English muffin recipe, so the dough tends to not rise as dramatically. As long as the dough becomes slightly puffy, smooth, and springy, it’s ready.

5. Why use cornmeal?

Cornmeal keeps the muffins from sticking to both the baking sheet and skillet, and it gives that signature English muffin texture on the bottom and top.

6. How do I know when they’re done cooking?

If you have an internal food thermometer, the internal temperature of the muffins should reach 200°F.

7. Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes! After cutting the muffins, place them on a cornmeal-dusted tray, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Let the dough come to room temperature for 30–45 minutes before cooking in the cast iron skillet.

8. How do I reheat them?

Slice the English muffins in half, then toast in a toaster oven until crisp.

9. What do I eat English muffins with?

I love a simple English muffin that’s split in half, toasted until golden, and slathered with soft butter. You can also enjoy these with cream cheese, jam, mashed avocado. English muffins make a great side for a classic egg breakfast, too!

And don’t forget, they make an excellent bread for a homemade breakfast sandwich recipe!

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