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English Muffin Bread: No Knead Toasting Bread

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This easy  English muffin bread recipe has all of those nooks and crannies and craters of an English muffin but in a quick, no-knead toasting bread loaf. It’s a fragrant batter bread with that distinct  yeasty flavor that we all love. Instructions for bread machine and stand mixer included. You can let it rise overnight in the refrigerator if you want to save time in the morning or if you prefer to develop the flavor more. Updated from the original post published in 2011.

For this recipe you’ll need: all purpose flour, active dry yeast, honey, kosher salt, baking powder, milk, butter, cornmeal, 2 bread pans 

If you are in a hurry click here to go straight to the recipe.

This English Muffin bread recipe has that coarse, bumpy texture with all the nooks and crannies and craters that you need to hold the melty butter and sticky honey that you are going to slather on it. Absolutely the best ...ever. From RestlessChipotle.com

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I think that the best thing about English muffins is the way that butter and honey melts and pools in the craters.In fact I have been known (I’m sure you won’t be surprised) to put so much butter and honey on my English muffin that it overflows and oozes down the sides in a warm, buttery, sweet-sticky river. That’s the best.

I have never been fussy about what variety or flavor the English muffins were — I love them all from sourdough to whole wheat.

Even though I have tried and tried to get them exactly right at home I just can’t do it but that’s OK. With this recipe for an English muffin bread loaf I can have that perfect texture and flavor anytime and it doesn’t take forever, either. It’s a batter bread which makes this a super easy recipe. No kneading, no mess, and you can have it hot and steaming out of the oven in less than 90 minutes. 90 short minutes to English muffin nirvana Don’t cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it hot, though.  Cool the toasting bread at least part way and then be sure to toast it.  It will be better that way.

Now, I’ve seen a lot of images for English muffin bread (sometimes called toasting bread) on Pinterest. It bothers me that so many of the slices look almost exactly like a slice of regular bread. As far as I am concerned it’s not English muffin bread unless it has that coarse, bumpy texture (to hold the butter and honey, of course) and distinct English Muffin flavor. It shouldn’t taste like bread at all! It’s got to taste like a…

(say it with me…)… ENLISH MUFFIN!!!

Accept no substitutes!

I promise you this toasting bread will come out perfectly and the flavor will be amazing. You can make two large loaves of English muffin bread with this recipe or you can double it and make four. I’d double it if I were you — it tends to disappear quickly and you can freeze it if you need to.

Use coarsely ground cornmeal to dust the pans. It will give you that flavor and slight texture that the conventional English muffins have. If you don’t have any cornmeal you can just dust the pan with flour instead. Not a big deal but not as good either.

This easy English muffin bread is sometimes called Toasting Bread - it's a batter bread with the nooks and crannies of real English muffins - so good!

Mmmmm…. look at that crust. So, seriously… what do you like best on your English muffins? My favorite is butter and honey, hands down. LOTS of butter and honey.

How to Make English Muffin Bread in a Bread Machine

This toasting bread is so easy I really think most people will have a great amount of success making it as directed but if you MUST make it in a bread machine here’s how.

  1. Put all of the ingredients in your bread machine.
  2. Program the machine for basic white bread. If you have a crust setting go for the lightest crust.
  3. Check the dough halfway through the second kneading cycle. It should be soft and a little sticky. If it isn’t then add a little water or flour — but only if you absolutely have to.
  4. Just before the final rise remove the dough and roll it in cornmeal then place it back in the machine to rise and bake.

How to Make English Muffin Toasting Bread in a Kitchen Aid or Other Stand Mixer

This batter bread is so easy to make you really don’t knead (knead = need – see what I did there?) a mixer. Some people just prefer to use one though so I thought I’d add instructions for doing so. Here’s the deal… If you choose to use a mixer to make this the nooks and crannies that give it the wonderful English Muffin bread texture will not develop as well. It will likely come out similar in texture to a heavy sandwich bread.

  1. Warm the bowl with hot water then dump the water out.
  2. Add the yeast to the bottom of the bowl.
  3. Add the honey and warm water.
  4. Let proof for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cornmeal and mix with the paddle attachment.
  6. Let the batter bread rise and bake according to instructions in recipe.

To Make this Batter Bread You May Need…

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Red Star is the yeast I use most of the time. I buy it in bulk from Amazon (which makes it VERY affordable) and it’s always been good until it’s gone. Keep it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge to keep it fresh unless you go through it as fast as I do.

You can also get the paperback version of my book on Amazon Bread Bootcamp. Please leave a review? It really helps!

No Knead English Muffin Bread Recipe

Here’s that English Muffin Bread Recipe!! By the way, if you like making easy batter bread like this one try the whole wheat beer bread recipe! I think you’ll love it.  If you enjoy this recipe please consider giving it a 5 star rating!

4.29 from 46 votes
english muffin bread
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English Muffin Bread
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
An easy, no knead loaf with the texture and flavor of an English muffin. Perfect toasted and served warm with butter and honey.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: batter bread, no knead, toast, yeast
Servings: 16
Calories: 183 kcal
Author: Marye Audet
Ingredients
  • 5 1/2 cups flour you may need less or a little more
  • 2 tablespoons dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 1/4 cups warm milk
  • Butter and cornmeal for greasing and dusting the pans
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Mix the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside.

  2. Stir the salt, baking powder, and flour together.

  3. Add the milk and one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture.
  4. Blend well.

  5. Add the remaining flour, OR ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH and beat.

  6. You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy.
  7. Spoon the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and dusted with the cornmeal.
  8. Set aside in a warm place until the batter has doubled and is at the top of the pans, or a little above. This may take 30 to 45 minutes.
  9. Preheat the oven to 425F
  10. Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake for 15 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
  11. Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
  12. Cool and slice.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

You can make this with whole wheat flour, half whole wheat and half white.
You can add raisins, dried cranberries, dates, etc.

Nutrition Facts
English Muffin Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 183 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 306mg 13%
Potassium 102mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1.1%
Calcium 4.8%
Iron 11.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Apple fritter bread is a delicious snack or brunch, easy to make and delicious. restless chipotle.com Homemade honey buttermilk bread recipe is the number 1 recipe on the blog. Easy enough for a beginner.Amish white bread is soft and slightly sweet.

This English Muffin bread recipe has that coarse, bumpy texture with all the nooks and crannies and craters that you need to hold the melty butter and sticky honey that you are going to slather on it. Absolutely the best ...ever. From RestlessChipotle.com
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Comments

  2. I am making this bread now and it is rising, but not very fast. One thing I want to ask is, what is gloopy? Is it a very wet gloopy, a poofy airy gloopy, or a big semi dry like regular bread dough gloopy? I realized I didn’t understand this as I was stirring it. Also, when beating by hand how long do I do this? I followed the recipe and I will let you know how it turns out. Hopefully I will have a delicious breakfast in the morning.

    Reply

  7. I will make this as soon as this is answered. Do I sift the dry ingredients and then measure the amounts?? I need this in my life and don’t want to screw it up lol.

    Reply

  8. Oh sister, you nailed this! Sing, sing, sing! The search is over. I am parking on this recipe. The texture and taste are English muffin dead on. Perfect toasting bread and vehicle for my husband’s blueberry-red raspberry jam.

    I cut the recipe in half and baked one loaf in my toaster oven.

    I also used SAF instant yeast:
    1. Mix 1 cup of the flour with yeast, salt, & baking powder.
    2. Combine milk, water & honey in Pyrex cup and nuke to 125-ish degrees.
    3. Pour warm liquid over the flour mixture and blend well.
    4. Then incorporate more flour …

    Thank you very much for posting this, Marye.

    Reply

      • Nine months later and I still regularly make this recipe one loaf at a time in the toaster oven. We love this toasting bread and I am proud to serve it to guests. You make me look good.

        There are always 3 varieties of this sliced bread in our freezer: plain, cinnamon & raisin, and cranberry orange. (The latter and my homemade apple butter are made for each other!)

        For those interested (double these if you make Marye’s original 2-loaf quantity):
        ¾ c raisins and 1 t cinnamon OR
        ¾ c craisins and 2 t orange zest

        I may try your tortillas next. I loved your lard dissertation/diatribe.

        Cheers!
        Joyce

        Reply

  10. I cant thank you enough for sharing this recipe! I have made over 20 loves already and they all came out perfect.
    I was wondering if unbleached flour would work?
    Thanks again for an incredible recipe.
    Steve

    Reply

  11. I’m an experienced home cook, but not so with bread baking. I want to make English muffin bread, and yours is the first to suggest doing it by hand for an airier texture. Please help me to understand why so I’ll learn. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Because bread has a protein in it called gluten. The more you stir or knead the dough the tougher the gluten gets. This is great for regular bread but if you want those big nooks and crannies like an English Muffin the gluten will keep that from happening. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  13. I tried 4 other recipes and none turned out nothing like this this bread is Fantastic to eat and very easy to make i have made this one 5x now and shared with neighbors and all fell in love with it..i am so happy to have found this one I Love English Muffin Bread…i do not use the cornmeal (do not like it) and i weigh my flour (do not sift it) and it turns out the same everytime..Thank You Thank You…love it

    Reply

    • If you don’t mind, can you tell me what weight of flour you use? It can differ so much when using volume. I would prefer to weigh it and have a solid number to stick with. I have a couple of loaves rising (first time), and I left half a cup out because the dough was already thick, though sticky. I am hoping that it’s not too dense, but even if it’s perfect, I can’t recreate it by volume.

      Reply

  15. Thanks for the recipe. This is my second time making it. It seriously makes the best bread for grilled cheese! Also, I’ve seen a few people ask about using a KitchenAid stand mixer. I put the yeast mixture at the bottom of the mixer and let it proof while I sifted the flour mixture. I used the paddle attachment, it was easy and quick.

    Reply

  16. I made this yesterday, and today, and it is excellent!! My neighbors loved it too! So easy to make.
    Since I absolutely hate sifting and measuring, I weighed my flour as I sifted (1lb, 6oz sifted) and it was perfect.
    My only question is 1 loaf had a very large hole in the center. Is it from not mixing enough?

    Reply

  17. I wanted to try and make this for my husband and was wondering what type of flour? All Purpose or bread flour? I’m gluten free so those are the only ones I’m truly familiar with. Hubby is not so I might like to give this a go so he can have some fresh baked good too. Since it’s a no knead dough I think I can handle it without contaminating my kitchen ?

    Reply

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