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This English Muffin Bread recipe will quickly become a family favorite! Perfect for new bread bakers, made with simple ingredients, and a dream to toast with all those little nooks and crannies.
Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than baking up a batch of this simple English muffin bread!
Susie Homemaker In The House!
Baking bread from scratch can certainly be a little intimidating, but once you’ve done it once or twice you’ll see just how simple it can be. Especially when it comes to our English muffin bread that’s literally begging you to slice it up, toast it til browned and crispy, and slather it with our cinnamon honey butter, a bit of apple butter, or some salted butter + raspberry jam.
I have big feelings about this bread.
This is cheaper than buying a pack of English muffins, but more importantly, the sense of accomplishment you feel as you pull a loaf of fresh baked bread out of the oven is seriously second to none. And I don’t know if you’ve smelled a loaf of bread baking before, but it’s pure heaven.
Have I convinced you to give this one a try yet?
Ingredient Notes:
Yeast – We’re using active dry yeast. I buy it in bulk and store it in the fridge. We use it often to make our quick dinner rolls.
Flour – We use all-purpose flour. You could try using a combination of wheat and white flour, but we do prefer white flour.
Sugar – Just a touch of granulated sugar.
Cornmeal – This coats the loaf pan and gives the bread a bit of coarse texture on the crust.
Milk & Water – We use whole milk, but any variety should work fine.
How to Make English Muffin Bread:
Warm the milk and water in a pot until warm. Do this over low heat and target about 120 degrees F. Remove from heat and add the yeast. Let it set for 5 minutes.
Use your stand mixer with a dough hook and add your yeast mixture, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Knead the mixture on medium speed for 7 minutes. Check the dough – it should be slightly sticky, but workable.
Grab an 8×4 or 9×5 loaf pan (either will work) and spray with non-stick spray or brush on vegetable oil. Then sprinkle the pan with cornmeal and shake the pan until the inside of the pan is evenly coated.
Shape the dough in the pan and let it sit in a warm place for about 45 minutes until it doubles in size.
Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until it is golden brown on the outside. Cool before slicing.
Karly’s Tips!
Bread Baking Tips:
- If your liquid is too cool, the yeast will not activate. If your liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast. You want the liquid to be between 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- This can be done by hand with a bit of elbow grease. No mixer needed!
- The dough should barely stick to your fingers when you pinch it. If it’s too sticky, you’ll have a hard time shaping it. You can add a touch more flour as needed, but don’t overdo it.
- The bread should be golden brown on the outside and should sound hollow when you knock on it with your fist. For the most accuracy, use an internal thermometer – bread is done at 190 degrees F.
- Some breads can be sliced warm, but this one works best if you let it cool completely before slicing.
Special Tools!
You can bake bread by hand, but we find it easiest to use a mixer.
We have a KitchenAid stand mixer that is excellent for making bread when fitted with the dough hook.
We recently purchased a Bosch Mixer that is a new favorite for making bread.
Whichever tool you decide to use, I’m sure the bread will be tasty!
The exact loaf pan I use is no longer available, but this one is very similar and so cute!
Serving Suggestions:
This bread is delicious toasted and topped with butter and jam.
We also use it to make breakfast sandwiches with scrambled egg, air fryer sausage patties, and cheese.
Try your hand at a delicious avocado toast! Toast the bread, spread with smashed avocado, sprinkle with crumbled feta, and top with Everything Bagel seasoning or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
More Breakfast Favorites:
- Baked Donuts
- Hootenanny
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Homemade Biscuits
- Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Muffins
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
English Muffin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon corn meal
Instructions
- Warm the milk and water over low heat until warm, but not hot to the touch, around 110-120 degrees.
- Remove from the heat and add the yeast to the mixture and let bloom, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast and milk mixture and stir in the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Knead on medium speed for 7 minutes. Test dough and add more flour if it’s too sticky too handle. It should be slightly sticky, but workable.
- Spray an 8×4 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle in the corn meal. Shake the pan around so that the corn meal coats the inside of the pan evenly.
- Place the dough in the pan and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in February of 2014. It was updated in January 2023. Original photos below.
Laurie Miller says
This bread is AWESOME!!! Will definitely make it again and again. Being under quarantine has been an opportunity to try new recipes. I LOVE cooking and baking. Think I’ll make some homemade jam to go with it. Try it it’s easy and wonderful! Thanks!!
Karly says
Homemade jam would be perfect with this! 🙂
rachel says
This wasn’t sticky at all as dough. Do I whisk to yeast into the milk? How will I know that it has ‘bloomed’? The dough nearly filled the 8 x 4 pan right out of the mixer is that right? Do you cover it to let it rise? Could you add a picture or two of your steps so I know if I’m on the right track?
Pat says
Can this be put in bread machine?
Karly says
I don’t have a bread machine, so I’ve never tested it.
anne witter says
I used my bread machine to knead the dough (I put it on ‘knead’ cycle). I timed it for 7 minutes. I then proceeded to follow rest of the instructions as per this recipe.
Sarah says
Should I use regular flour or bread flour? Thanks!
Karly says
We use all purpose flour.
BERNITA CAVANAUGH says
Do you have to add corn meal to the pan
Karly says
The cornmeal helps it from sticking and also gives it the traditional English muffin flavor/texture.
LOUISE CLARKE says
My version of this lovely looking bread was too crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Karly says
Sounds like too much flour. You might try again with a bit less. You want the dough to be slightly sticky, but still workable.
Maggie Martin says
Made 2 loaves and the hubs ate one in one sitting! Good stuff!
Thanks Karly
Maggie
Lori says
Ok, I don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook. Can you tell me what I can do instead? How long I would have to hand knead, etc. Thanks
Karly says
Hi Lori! I’ve only ever made this in the stand mixer – I’ve never actually made dough and kneaded it by hand, but the standard is around 10-12 minutes.
Joan says
Can I use a 9 by 4 pan as don’t have a smaller one
Karly says
Yes, that’s fine. Just watch the bake time.
Linda says
OMG!! This is the best bread I’ve ever baked!! Perfect! Thank you for sharing on your blog. You’ve made me look good, like a world class baker. LOL!!
Karly says
Yay! So glad to hear that! 🙂
Caroline says
Regarding the water and milk – was wondering what temperature it has to be? I use a microwave measuring cup. I heat it up for a few seconds and then use a thermoter. I usually look for 105 degrees. I use SAF Instant Yeast. It works wonders and keep it in my fridge. Never had a problem with that yeast.
Karly says
Between 105 and 110 is perfect for proofing yeast. 🙂
Fred grenier says
if you think honey is good you should try it with lemon or lime curd my fav. resp. 4 eggs,4 lemons or limes,one and a half c sugar,12tabs unsalted butter dir.juice lemons or limes and zest 2 of two 2.in a bowl beat sugar,eggs,till fluffy then add juice and zest and mix well on high 2. in pan melt butter on low 3. add juice mixtur and heat over med heat stiring till it thickens about ten or fifteen min. then put in frig leave over night spread on any muffins or scons or what have you good luck ! i found this on food.com
Karly says
That sounds amazing, Fred! Thanks for the recipe!
Carls says
After the first time making this recipe, my husband, even the whole family and several friends, have declared store-bought English muffins are no longer their favs! I am so happy to find this recipe! After several months of this bread without a bad batch ever, I’m totally sold on this one. It’s going in my kids’ recipe memory books they will take to their own homes. Thank you! You’re right about the freezing. I make 4 loaves at a time and have enough to share a loaf with a neighbor. I do lile
Karly says
That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Molly says
This is so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except I used soy milk and instant yeast – phenomenal! I have been using the overnight no-knead recipe, which I love, but this is perfect for when I want fresh bread NOW (which, is, um, often). We ended up just eating half the loaf fresh out of the oven with various toppings for dinner 🙂
Karly says
Glad to hear it was a hit for your family! 🙂
Lynn Schmidt says
I noticed in your recipe you say to use a loaf pan…in the picture you show a ceramic loaf pan. What say you?
Thanks, Lynn
Karly says
You can use a metal or ceramic loaf pan. I use both without issue.
Jean says
I have one of the first electric mixers. It does not have a dough blade. Will the regular blades do the the trick so can make the bread?
Karly says
Probably not. I think you’d need to either mix by hand or use a dough hook for this one.
Jean says
How hard is it to mix by hand?
Karly says
You’ll get a bit of a work out. It’d be just like kneading any other dough by hand, though.