If you love homemade bread as much as we do, check out these other Restless Chipotle no knead bread recipes!
Tons of crags and craters plus the crusty bits make this English muffin bread the best!
Reader Review: (5 stars) Made this tonight, and I was a little nervous as I’ve never attempted bread before. Easy recipe to follow and turned out absolutely delicious!!! Was going to share my second loaf with a neighbor but I changed my mind after the first bite! ~Rachel
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
Yeast bread just doesn't get easier than this! It's a no fail, no knead recipe that's done in about an hour!
Homemade English muffin bread is delicious spread with melty butter and honey or jam... but try it for French toast sometimes. It's unbelievable!
Here's an easy no knead sandwich batter bread that you'll love, too!!
📋 Ingredients
You'll just need basic ingredients for this recipe - most are probably in your pantry. Note - in the image the label says baking powder but it's baking soda.
Simple ingredients for quick and easy English muffin toasting bread.🔪 Instructions
This is an easy, no-knead toasting bread. You don't need a mixer or a breadmaker - just a big wooden spoon!
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Butter two bread pans.
- Dust with cornmeal.
- Add the sugar to the water.
- Stir in the yeast.
- Set aside until foamy.
- Blend the dry ingredients.
- Add the yeast mixture to a bowl.
- Add the milk.
- Add ENOUGH FLOUR TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH.
- Spoon the dough into loaf pans. Set aside in a warm place to double.
- Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake.
- Cool loaves.
Bread machine instructions
I don't recommend a bread machine because this is SUCH an easy recipe to make and I don't think it works as well. However, if you want to make it that way here is what you should do..
- Cut the ingredient measurements in half.
- Place all of the ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine, or as instructed by the manufacturer.
- Program for basic white bread with a light crust.
- Remove when done baking.
🎥 Video
Just click on the image below if you'd like to see the full length video on YouTube. It opens in a new tab so you won't lose your place here.
🥫 Storage
This simple yeast bread will stay fresh for a day or two if it's sealed in an airtight food storage container and kept at room temperature. From scratch breads don't last as long as commercial loaves.
For longer storage wrap it securely in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil (or put it in a freezer container) and freeze for up to 3 months.
I like to slice it up, place parchment squares between the slices, and freeze it that way. When I need a slice or two it's easy to get out without thawing the whole loaf.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: You can let the dough for this English muffin loaf rise overnight in the refrigerator if you want to save time in the morning or if you prefer to develop the flavor more. Spray plastic wrap with no stick spray and cover the batter so it won't dry out.
- 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.
- 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.
- Just use all-purpose flour in this recipe. No need for bread flour.
- The batter should be very loose and gloopy. If you add too much flour you won't have those lovely nooks & craters, crags and crannies! See the video or step by step images for a visual of gloopy.
- Don't cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it hot. Cool and then be sure to slice and toast it. It makes perfect toast!
- Check out my list of favorite bread baking supplies - they make my time in the kitchen a lot easier!
I've seen a lot of images for similar recipes (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 right unless it has that coarse, bumpy texture (to hold the butter and honey, of course) and distinct 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!
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me - I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Yes you can but I don't recommend it. The bread machine over mixes the dough and you don't get the great texture. I had one reader say that it broke her machine. This ONLY requires stirring and it's so easy. Making it by hand is best. If you must - I've given instructions in the body of the post.
Not really. It does help give the English muffin bread that traditional flavor and texture, though.
There are a couple of ways. Using an insta-read thermometer is easiest. Just poke it down in the center of the loaf and it's done when it's 190F -200F. You can tap it and it will sound hollow. Once you get some experience you'll just know!
It sounds like it rose too long. Check out this troubleshooting guide for yeast doughs.
Yes, that should be fine!
2 packets will work just fine.
🔍 What Is Gloopy?
I've had so many people ask what a gloopy dough is so I grabbed one of the images from the video. This is the perfect texture!
📚 Related recipes
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
English Muffin Bread Recipe
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups flour, you may need less or a little more
- 2 tablespoons yeast, or 2 packets
- 1 tablespoon honey, or sugar
- ¼ cup warm water, 110F
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ cups warm milk, 110F
- Butter and cornmeal for greasing and dusting the pans
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside.
- Stir the salt, baking soda, and flour together.
- Add the milk and one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture.
- Blend well.
- Add the remaining flour, OR ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH and beat.
- You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy. See the video for a visual.
- Spoon the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and dusted with the cornmeal.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake for 15 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
- Cool and slice.
Notes
- The pans I use are 9x5-inch.
- ANY kind of loaf pan is fine - I prefer glass but you can use aluminum, cast iron, or whatever.
- You can make two large loaves of 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.
- Just use all-purpose flour in this recipe. No need for bread flour.
- The batter should be very loose and gloopy. If you add too much flour you won't have those lovely nooks and crannies.
- Don't cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it hot. Cool at least part way and then be sure to slice and toast it. It will be better that way.
- You can make this with whole wheat flour, half whole wheat and half white.
- Feel free to add raisins, dried cranberries, dates, etc. About ½ cup is right.
- Cut the ingredient measurements in half.
- Place all of the ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine, or as instructed by the manufacturer.
- Program for basic white bread with a light crust.
- Remove when done baking.
Nutrition
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.Originally published August 2011. Last updated December 31, 2020 for readability, step by step images, and better images.
Katie
You should specify in the recipe that it’s warm milk, like you do with the water. Adding the 110F after it is confusing
Marye
Done.
Kristina
Can you make this in a bread machine?
Marye
I don't recommend it - but you can.
Yasmin
12.24.2020- Much better than commercially made english muffins but I could taste the yeast. I will try next time using less yeast.
paige
Very tasty but I have made it twice and both times my bread sunk slightly instead of giving me the nice rounded top you would expect from a loaf of bread. What am I doing wrong?
Marye
This bread doesn't have a rounded top - it's not supposed to. The top stays flat or sinks slightly. If it sunk too much you may not be adding enough flour - but if you add too much flour you'll lose the great English Muffin texture.
Mary
It’s so good! It’s the first bread I’ve made successfully, and the fourth bread I have tried.
Hummingbird1st
This is delicious! This is the third time I have made this recipe and must confess I have eaten five of the six loaves. I gave one to my daughter who also liked it. Lovely easy recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Melissa D Snyder
This was really good and pretty easy to make but mine was really dense like soda bread. The one in the photos looks more airy. Did I do something wrong?
Marye
It sounds like you used too much flour? Did it rise ok?
Ginny
Hi, did you use instant or active dry yeast? Thanx for your response
Btw, this bread looks so 👍👍👍
Marye
I always use active dry - I'm kinda old fashioned that way. 🙂
Cherie
Very easy. Tastes like English muffin. My first time making it. Used almond milk. I may try less yeast next time..it is a little "yeasty" for me.
Jeff
This is delicious bread! I made a loaf today and it's half gone. I did cut the recipe in half and it worked fine.
A couple of questions, though:
(1) Is it really baking soda or baking powder call for in the recipe? The recipe says baking powder but you indicate baking soda in a post. I used baking soda and it seemed to work fine.
(2) Do you think you could make this with water if I'm out of milk? Or, use evaporated milk?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Marye
1. It is baking soda - I need to redo the video.
2. Yes to water or evaporated milk!