This English muffin bread bakes up with all the nooks and crannies you love—just like the real thing, but without all the fuss. It’s no-knead, stirs together in minutes, and slices up into the perfect toast: crispy, golden edges with soft, airy middles that soak up butter like a sponge.
🎧 Listen to the recipe
Not in the mood to read all this? Hit play below and I’ll walk you through the audio version of this English muffin bread recipe with all the sass, tips, and biscuit-loving charm you’ve come to expect from me.
Table of Contents
- 🎧 Listen to the recipe
- 🎥 Video: English muffin bread
- Reasons to love this english muffin bread
- 📋 English muffin bread ingredients
- 📖 Recipe
- 🔪 How to make English muffin bread step by step
- 🔍 What should the dough look like? Hint: Gloopy Is Good!
- Marye’s Pro Tips (They’ll Save Your Loaf)
- 📚 More bread recipes you'll love
- 💬 Comments
🎥 Video: English muffin bread
Wanna know what gloopy perfection looks like? Watch this quick video to see exactly how your English muffin bread dough should look—nail the texture, and you’re golden (literally).
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
Reasons to love this english muffin bread
Some mornings demand real toast — crispy edges, buttery craters, and zero kneading. This loaf delivers everything you want in a slice of toast—without asking you to wrestle with a dough hook.
- No kneading required – stir by hand
- Sticky, gloopy dough = right texture, trust me. (It might look like a hot mess in the bowl, but that’s the secret to those buttery craters we’re all here for).
- Use cornmeal for that signature crust
- Best for toasting — crispy edges, fluffy inside
- Done in just over an hour (plus rising time)
📋 English muffin bread ingredients
You'll just need basic ingredients for this recipe - most are probably in your pantry right now.
- Yeast -You can use instant yeast instead of regular yeast - just add it in with the dry ingredients and skip the first step of proofing in water.
- Water - Make sure your water temperature isn't too hot nor too cold - it should be about 110F. This is important! Use a thermometer if you're not an experienced baker.
- Sugar - Yeast need sugar to "eat" in order to rise properly. You can substitute honey if you prefer.
- All-purpose flour - No need for bread flour for this recipe.
- Milk - Any kind of milk is fine - just make sure it's 110F.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted is fine. Whatever you have handy.
- Baking soda - Helps to make the craters.
- Salt - Is important for flavor as well as keeping the yeast under control.
- Cornmeal - Not essential but it is traditional.
🍞 Grab your Free English Muffin Kitchen Cheat Sheet for extra tips, FAQs, and more.
📖 Recipe
English Muffin Bread Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 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 1 cup of flour together.
- Add the milk 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. Interior should register 190F-200F on an instant-read thermometer stuck in the center.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
- Cool and slice.
Notes
- The pans I use are 9x5-inch.
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make English muffin bread step by step
This is an easy, no-knead yeast loaf. You don't need a mixer or a breadmaker - just a big wooden spoon and some patience. In about an hour you'll have a loaf that's perfect for toasting.
- Butter two 9x5-inch bread pans.
- Dust with cornmeal.
- Add the sugar to the water in small bowl.
- Stir in the yeast.
- Set aside until foamy.
- Blend the dry ingredients.
- Add the yeast mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the milk.
- Add ENOUGH FLOUR TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH.
- Spoon the dough from the large bowl into each prepared loaf pan. Try to keep the amount of batter in each one equal. Set aside in a warm place to double. Dust the tops of the dough with cornmeal and bake until the top of the loaves are golden brown.
- Cool loaves.
- Slice.
🔍 What should the dough look like? Hint: Gloopy Is Good!
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!
It's a very wet dough. Usually if you can't get the bumpy texture like in my pictures you've added too much flour because you're afraid of the sticky dough.
Marye’s Pro Tips (They’ll Save Your Loaf)
- This is an easy bread recipe to stir together by hand. I DO NOT recommend making it with an electric mixer because it will get over beaten, even on low speed, and your perfect texture will be lost.
- 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.
Don't forget the free English Muffin Kitchen Cheat Sheet for more.
📚 More bread recipes you'll love
🍞 Cinnamon Raisin Slow Cooker Bread - All the cozy vibes, none of the work.
🍞 Buttermilk Bread -Southern charm in a fluffy, no-fail loaf.
🍞 No-Knead Sandwich Bread - Your new go-to for toast and grilled cheese.
Once you’ve had a slice of this English muffin bread fresh from the toaster, I promise — you’ll never go back to store-bought. Leave a rating, drop a comment, or tell me what you slathered on top (I’m a strawberry butter girl, but I don’t judge). And don’t forget to grab your free English muffin bread cheat sheet while you’re here — it’ll save your loaf more than once.
Kaye Dinsmoore says
Ok can you use regular salt instead of the course salt
Marye says
Yes but use a little less.
Leah says
Thank you for this incredible recipe.
I live in Alaska where loaves of bread come with a $7 price tag at the grocery store, but I don’t think I will ever buy another grocery store loaf again.
I have been making this bread every weekend for the past 3 months. We use it for everything- sandwiches, toast, everything. It’s amazing.
Thank you again!
TLC says
The yeast packets say to use 1/4c water and the sugar or honey for each packet , but I see the recipe only calls for 1/4c water , just wanted to make sure I'm doing this right ,1st time bread maker .thank u
Marye says
Follow the instructions on the recipe and you'll do fine. 🙂
Laurie says
Can you use sourdough starter instead of yeast for this recipe? If so, how much starter would you use?
Marye says
I never have so I really don't know.
Elaine Dodge says
Can I use oat flour instead?
Marye says
No. It needs gluten to rise properly.
Maureen says
The number of loaves doesn’t change no matter which amount of loaves you push. I couldn’t figure out why my loaves weren’t rising enough as I was trying to make 2 loaves with the one loaf recipe. Also, do you still add sugar and the water if using instant yeast. Otherwise great bread!
Marye says
I'm not sure what happened, Maureen. The original recipe is for 2 loaves. If you push 2x the amounts of the ingredients change for 4 loaves, and so on. I did double check and it works fine for me as well as 3 other people. Yes, you'll still want to add the sugar and water.
Joanne says
I made this today. It is fabulous! And so easy. It's hard to believe it's done between and hour and an hour and a half. Fresh bread at breakfast if you have overnight guests. Thank you for this.
Bianca Gillespie says
I just read it says don’t let the water in the yeast be to hot or cold but I boiled mine will that be a issue?
Marye says
Yep. You just killed the yeast. You have to start over. Keep the water at around 110F and use an instant read thermometer.
Milann Daugherty says
When you skip the first step b/c you are using instant yeast, do you also leave out the 1/4 water? Thank you.
Milann Daugherty says
I've looked at the over temperatures of other recipes. Yours is the highest. Is there a particular reason with regard to the end result that you use 425 degrees? Thanks
Marye says
Because that's the way it works the best? You won't find those kinds of glorious nooks and crannies in the other recipes.
Janet says
Two packets of yeast is 4 1/2 teaspoons. This is very different from 2 tablespoons. Which do you use?
Marye says
It is different ... but I use either depending on whether I have a packet of yeast or bulk yeast. You can use what you are most comfortable with - it works either way.
Valeigh Davis says
What kind of yeast? I have active dry yeast or fast rising yeast? Ty!
Marye says
Either is fine. I usually use active dry.
Katie Johnson says
Amazing!!!!!
Cheryle Grognet says
I am a bit confused, your printed recipe called for baking soda but in your video you say baking powder. Which one is it? I just made it and used baking soba. Just rising now so crossing my fingers it’s ok.
Marye says
It's baking soda - the video was a verbal typo on my part.
Kathie says
Is it possible to make these into individual muffins? Has anyone tried it?
Marye says
I've never tried. If you do come back and let us know how it worked.
Donna says
Love,love, love it!! My husband will eat the whole loaf in one day. I do have a question. When I take it out of the oven it looks beautiful, but after it sits for a bit the top center collapses.
Thanks!
Nicole says
I have never made bread successfully before until this recipe! I made it twice in one week. I had to buy the loaf pans after the first attempt since this will be a regular for us now. The first batch I made in a Pyrex. That’s how much I don’t make bread, I didn’t even have the right pans. I took the second batch from the loaf pans to a women’s Bible study and everyone loved it.
Lisa says
My husband said "I never want you to make another bread" it's Delicious!
Sam says
Holy mother of amazing breads! This bread is fantastic. Super easy to make. Thanks for posting this.
Michele says
Hello - Can you use a combination of white flour and whole wheat? Will it still have all of the nooks and cranies?
Marye says
Yes, but the texture is a bit different.
Tris says
My first attempt with half whole wheat and half all-purpose did not have all the nooks and crannies. The whole wheat flour seemed to drink up the liquid, so I didn’t have the gloopy batter she describes, either. The next go around, I used less of each flour (1 1/2 cups whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose for a total of 3 cups flour) and that gave me gloopy batter and the crannies with the end product. As her instructions read, may need more or less flour, so play around with what seems best to you 🙂
Julie says
Easy to make & very yummy.