If you are looking for the easiest, softest, and quickest homemade English muffin bread recipe, you are at the right place! This recipe calls for a handful of simple ingredients and baking them, and your homemade hygienic bread is ready!
The dough for this English breakfast bread is somewhat unique in that it benefits from being minimally worked. So rather than making it in a stand mixer, I always reach for my Danish dough whisk, which makes it easy to combine the ingredients without over-mixing.
There’s so much to love about homemade English muffin bread — it’s quick and easy to make, the ingredients are inexpensive, and it’s delicious to boot! The recipe makes 4 loaves of English muffin bread, so you’ll have plenty to share (or not… your secret will be safe with me!)
Table Of Contents
English Muffin Bread Ingredients
- Warm water: Warm water is added to combine and dissolve all the ingredients of the bread, including sugar, salt, and yeast, and form a dough. It helps hydrate the yeast, activates fermentation, and adds moisture to the dough.
- Instant yeast: Sometimes called “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast, instant yeast makes the dough rise and gives this bread its signature air pockets. (If you want to use active yeast instead, you’ll need to let the dough rise twice — once in the bowl until doubled in size, and again in the loaf pans until the dough reaches the lip of the pan.)
- Sugar: Sugar serves as a food source for the yeast and gives the bread a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt: Salt is a crucial ingredient in bread, lending flavor and improving its structure.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of this dough, yielding loaves with a tender, chewy crumb reminiscent of English muffins.
How To Make English Muffin Bread
Ingredients:
- 5 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 envelopes (3/4 oz) instant yeast
- 3 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 11 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Add the water, yeast, salt, sugar, and flour to a large bowl and stir just until combined.
As I mentioned, a Danish dough whisk is an ideal tool for this task, because it incorporates the ingredients more effectively than other utensils using fewer strokes. (Other types of bread need to be kneaded thoroughly, but too much mixing makes English muffin bread tough rather than tender and chewy.)
Divide the dough evenly between 4 well-greased loaf pans, then let it rise until it’s just above the top edge of the pans.
Bake the loaves at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes, or until the tops are light golden brown.
Right after you take the bread out of the oven, turn the loaves out of the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Use a pastry brush to brush softened or melted butter over the top of each loaf, then leave them to cool completely before slicing.
“I love this bread! It has become a favorite in my house and I make it at least once a month. It is great with just butter or honey, and makes for a wonderful toast for breakfast sandwiches. […] Thank you for sharing this recipe!”
– OGT Reader Robin
How to Enjoy Leftovers
To store leftover English muffin bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days (or a few days longer in your fridge).
You can also tightly wrap English muffin bread in plastic wrap or seal into an airtight freezer bag and freeze it for up to 1 month.
To enjoy refrigerated or frozen English muffin bread, let it come to room temperature on your countertop or reheat individual slices in your microwave or toaster oven.
More Ideas You'll Love
Serving Suggestions
You can have English muffin bread for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with tea, coffee, or creamy hot chocolate. As a big fan of late-night toast, I can confirm that it also makes a great late-night snack! Try it with these toppings:
- Butter
- Jam
- Honey
- Honey butter
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate spread
- Cinnamon sugar
- Fresh fruit and whipped cream
This English toasting bread makes a wonderful gift too! Pair it with homemade butter for a gift the recipient won’t soon forget.
Further Reading
For more delicious bread recipes and the like, check out:
- Impress yourself and your loved ones with a loaf of No-Fail Easy Overnight Bread —no kneading required!
- Make a delicious batch of Instant Pot Strawberry Jam to enjoy with your English muffin bread.
- Take a look at my favorite bread maker and learn why you might want one for yourself.
Get The Best Whisk For English Muffin Bread
There’s no substitute for using the right tool for the job, including when you’re making English muffin bread. A Danish dough whisk is the best tool for the job, hands down!
Take it from Patty, a fellow OGT reader:
“How did I go my first 53 years of life without Jillee’s Danish Whisk? This piece is amazing. I cannot believe I waited so long to buy it. It glides smoothly through the dough and doesn’t need to be shaken or tapped against the side of the bowl when mixing eggs as a traditional whisk requires. I call it my wonder whisk!”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Gluten-Free English Muffin Bread?
While many baking and bread recipes are fairly easy to make gluten-free, English muffin bread isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, all my attempts to make gluten-free English muffin bread have yielded disappointing results. (I recommend trying my favorite gluten-free bread recipe instead!)
How Long Does English Muffin Bread Last?
At room temperature, English muffin bread stays fresh for about 2-3 days, or 5-7 days if you wrap it tightly and store it in the fridge. Frozen English muffin bread can last for 1-2 months.
How Can I Keep English Muffin Bread Fresh?
After baking English muffin bread, it’s important to let it cool completely before storing it. It’s also important to protect it from drying out, which you can do by wrapping it in plastic wrap or storing it in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Doing these two things will help keep your bread fresh!
More Ideas You'll Love
Conclusion
This English muffin bread recipe makes a versatile anytime snack you can pair with sweet or savory toppings. It’s also an easy way to enjoy the delights of freshly baked bread without spending all day in the kitchen!
What would you put on a slice of English muffin bread?
English Muffin Bread Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 4 loaf pans
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 envelopes instant yeast
- 2 Tablespoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 11 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add the water, yeast, salt, sugar, and flour to a mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
- Divide the dough between four greased loaf pans.
- Let the dough rise until it reaches the top edge of the pans.
- Bake the loaves at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove the finished loaves from the pans, place them on a cooling rack, and brush the top of each loaf with melted butter.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
I see several people have asked what I am wondering- approximately how long does it take to rise? Thank you!! :) This looks delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fantastic recipe. Thank you for sharing. Has become a weekly bake :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you plan to freeze a few of the loaves, would you still butter the tops or omit that step???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just made this and love it too! It really comes out like English Muffins, which I love and can’t buy where I live.
I cut the recipe in 3rds, so I could just use 1 yeast package. It comes out like this:
1 5/6 c water (this=2c take away 2T+2t)
1 yeast package
2 t salt
1T sugar
3 1/3 c flour
This made two smaller loaves. Has anyone tried making them more like muffins? I think that would be fun.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Similar, but makes only one loaf … perfect for me, I would never eat four loaves before they got moldy, and my freezer is packed!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/english-muffin-toasting-bread-recipe
@Heather … actually, we do! How about American Fries and American Cheese? lol!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please tell your mother that I love her.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I can’t seem to find the way to print out your recipes. Is it just me or do they not come in a printable format? English Muffin Bread is on my to do list. Thanks for the post.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Katy….thank you for reminding me! I need to re-install the printing feature for the website. Hopefully by the time you read this…I will have it fixed. :-) Enjoy the bread!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.English Muffin Bread on my done list now! It’s cooling~ can hardly wait!!
Jillee,
Just stumbled onto your blog today after looking for some homemade recipes. can’t wait to try them.
1. I would love to make this but i don’t know how i would make this for a single gal like myself with just only 1 loaf pan at my disposal.
or even 2 loafs…would i then just half everything in the recipe?
2. can i freeze the unbaked bread and bake at later date?
Thanks
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Arlean
Follow up. I was not pleased with the whole wheat version. I thought it had a really bad taste and after taste. I will not be making it this way again and 5 loaves went in the garbage.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That means your flour went rancid. Whole wheat flour is just that – whole: has the bran, the white part and the kernel. The oil in the kernel will go bad if you do not store your flour correctly or do not use it up fast enough. I store my whole wheat flour in the freezer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve made this a couple of times (including this morning) and will be making another batch using whole wheat flour. My daughter will be selling these at church this Sunday along with homemade jam to raise money for her high school marching band. The only thing I did differently (besides the ww flour I will be using later today) was to bake them in different containers. I use 3 large pineapple juice cans and a small yrex bowl and then had a bit left over so put that in a small loaf pan. I thought that the different shapes would look nice on the sale table. I’m also thinking of using this as herb and or cheese bread base, has anyone tried that?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would it be a crazy idea to replace some of the water with…beer? :D I haven’t tried this amazing looking recipe yet, but the texture from the photos looks almost like Tastefully Simple’s brand of beer bread. Anyone have any idea of how much beer to water you’d use? Or would you just booze it on up with all beer?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just made up half a batch with a little extra water and the loaves are cooling right now. I used half whole wheat and half white flour as hubby doesn’t like all whole wheat. Oh my, does my kitchen smell wonderful and it was SO easy to make! I can’t wait to taste it – the reviews sound super. I’m thinking, if hubby likes the basic recipe, maybe I’ll throw in some raisins next time and maybe a little cinnamon. Thanks so much for your recipe and wonderful pictures. My loaves look just like yours! As a little aside, not only do I have the same mixer as you, I also have the same loaf pans :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How do you think this would do if I substitute the flour for a gluten free flour? Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you do this recipe without salt? My mother is on a low sodium diet and two tablespoons of salt equel 4,600 mg of sodium
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Many thanks for sharing and to your brother Kevin for putting the bug in your ear to share! The first homemade bread I have tried that my two year old will eat. We all love it and did freeze some for later. It was was still so good. Making it again on this Saturday morning, so easy… hanging out in the kitchen with the Ipad, reminding me of the old rice crispy treat ad, where the mom pretends she is working hard!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Making this today, and it will be posted on my blog soon. http://1chefmommy.blogspot.com/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have another english muffin recipe; I wonder if it would work to just bake it in loaf pans like this (instead of making the traditional muffins)? I’ll have to try it some time.
Definitely looking forward to trying your mom’s bread! Thanks for sharing!
look delicious…i want to try make this bread…never try before…tq for the recipe…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made this for dinner tonight (along with your mom’s bean soup) and my family loved it! My youngest and I could hardly wait for it to cool before we chomped into it!
I also wanted to say that you are simply amazing! I have tried a lot of things that you have posted and not a one has disappointed. I look forward to your posts everyday!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Have you ever tried to make this recipe in a muffin tin? (So they would be more like English muffins?) Just curious. :) I have my bread baking at this very minute. Can’t wait to try it!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made this last night & it was amazing! I found you on Pinterest & I will definitely be back!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This bread is sooo good! I used it to make french toast for my kiddos this morning and they loved it. They said it was the best french toast they ever had! Thanks for the recipe!
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