The dough will seem fairly wet when shaping into rounds, but the high hydration is key to forming those trademark nooks and crannies. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients
1
1
1
4
2
2
3½
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk yeast, sugar, and 1 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add buttermilk, butter, oil, salt, and 3½ cups flour and beat on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to medium and beat until dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but is very wet and sticky, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Spray a medium bowl with nonstick spray, transfer dough to greased bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill overnight (the cold rise makes the dough easier to handle, produces better flavor, and creates more nooks and crannies).
Step 3
Dust 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets generously with cornmeal (you want to cover all the parchment). Spray a clean work surface with nonstick spray, turn out dough, then spray dough. Using a bench scraper, divide dough into 12 equal pieces (they should be about 3 oz. each). Working with 1 piece at a time and using bench scraper, fold dough inward onto itself on 4 sides. Turn dough over with bench scraper so that folds are underneath and transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing evenly on sheets.
Step 4
Sprinkle each piece with cornmeal. Spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and loosely cover baking sheets, oiled side down. Let sit at room temperature until dough is nearly doubled in size, 60–70 minutes.
Step 5
Heat a large skillet or griddle, preferably cast iron, over low. Place another rimmed baking sheet in the center of oven and preheat to 350°. Working in 2–3 batches and keeping remaining dough covered, slide 2 thin metal spatulas from opposite sides underneath dough, also getting underneath cornmeal to avoid sticking or deflating dough, and transfer to skillet (do not overcrowd). Cook until bottoms are dark golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Turn and cook until other side is dark golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Using spatula, transfer muffins to preheated sheet in oven and bake until cooked through and sides are dry to the touch but still spring back, 5–10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let muffins cool at least 30 minutes before splitting with a fork and serving.
Step 6
Do Ahead: English muffins can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool and store in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature. Toast lightly before serving.
Leave a Review
Reviews (55)
Back to TopThese definitely did not turn out right for me, but I am confident it was user error. I think I didn't add enough flour as my dough was much too wet. Also had a hard time determining if they're done in the oven and they came out pretty underdone as a result. They were a bit flat and not as fluffy as I would have liked. I will be making this again to conquer the muffins :)
Anonymous
9/9/2018
I made these once and they were delicious! I will definitely be making them again. Watch the video and you will have no problem following the directions. Thanks, Claire! I enjoy all of your videos and recipes.
k_savage
California
9/27/2018
Fantastic recipe. I tried a different recipe earlier and they came out like hockey pucks. These were amazing. I also like the overnight rise in the refrigerator as it shortens prep time significantly.
Anonymous
Connecticut
11/25/2018
I just made these, and it will be the last time I use this recipe. It’s super sticky, hard to handle, and a pain to get off the parchment. I wish you would use weighted measurements! I have much more success with recipes that way. There can be a huge difference in weight of 1 cup of flour to the next. I’ll stick with Paul Hollywood’s recipe as it works every time and the muffins are much easier to handle and they are light and tasty.
A J B
Texas
12/19/2018
These were delicious!! Super fluffy and tasty. My family ate all of them in a flash
Anonymous
Texas
12/24/2018
This is the 5th time I’ve made these. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I have to admit that after the FIRST time I made these muffins, I told my family to enjoy because I was never doing it again. However, they loved them so much, I obviously repeated and the process seemed a lot easier after the first time. My biggest challenge is cutting the dough into equal pieces. I freeze the muffins and, after they are frozen, seal them in a vacuum sealed bag and store frozen. My daughter takes them to college and quickly thaws them in the microwave and toasts them up.
SherryHi
Raleigh NC
1/1/2019
There is no way this recipe is correct. As written it is >100% hydration (it’s 108%). The dough never came together any more than a stringy pancake batter. I added flour until it cleared the bowl on the mixer (salt also). We’ll see after the ferment and bake tomorrow.
Dave P
Indiana
7/10/2019