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.
Totally my go-to bread now. 5 minutes to whip up, tastes fantastic. I usually make one loaf at a time, since its so easy! Thanks for making my life easier with all your tips, Love, love, love the blog. :) God Bless!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh my goodness! I found this recipe on Pinterest forever ago, and just tried it today! I was running low on flour so I only ended up making one loaf, but it came out amazing!! Thanks so much for the butter and honey tip! I can’t barely stop eating it! Thanks for sharing :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello from Cranbrook, BC Canada! I just made this recipie and the Honey Butter ambrosiato accompany it, OH GOOD LORD is it delicious!!! Thank you Jillee and your Mom for sharing this! PS Love, Love, Love your Blog! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh, man, this looks so good. I am going to bake it tomorrow….love bread…..and if this is as easy as the rustic bread recipe you gave…well the best I can say is…THANK you Jillee and Jillee’s Mother.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello Jillee. I love your blog, and pass your wisdom on to friends contantly. I do live in North Dakota, born and raised. Yes I am a little crazy to be living here with our winters. I was interested to see you spent time here and met your husband here. I live in a little town east and south of Bismarck. Keep the wisdom coming. Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas. What station did you work for??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a very similar recipe, the only difference is that I dust my loaf pan with corn meal after greasing it. this gives the bread another level of deliciousness!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.mmmmmm…. gonna have to do some baking when I get home from work.
I followed your tip on my 2nd batch – incredible!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How long do I have to let the bread rise? I used Rapid rise yeast..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fill your pan 1/2 full and let rise till it reaches the top. Not over the top. How long that takes depends on how warm the surrounding area is. I am in FL and it took approx 1 hr?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All I can say is wow!!! I made this last night (halved the recipe) and it was so good. My husband could barely wait for the loaves to cool before trying the bread and he said it tasted just like his grandmothers bread. I may just pitch my bread machine now LOL. It was sooooo good with butter and strawberry jelly on it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is absolutely amazing…and so simple! Thanks for the great recipe…can’t wait to check out the rest of your “one good things.” :)
Susan
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I absolutely love this bread as does my family. The simplicity is fab! I’ve used it to make “cheesy” toast and it’s so delicious. Thanks for sharing :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yum-mmo! I made only one ( only one bread pan, only one loaf) I used reg yeast and let it rise twice. I should have just let it rise in the pan, as mine is a bit on the flat side LOL Still tastes great. Easy peasy recipe, thanks so much for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just wan to make one loaf in the bread maker, will that work? What would be the breakdown of the yeast if I did that?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As I read through the many comments, here’s a few of my own:
1. Oil and solid fats work differently in making things release from pans. For baking, solid fats, like butter, work better than oils for greasing pans, although I don’t remember why.
2. English Muffins are not made in muffin tins. They are cooked on a griddle in what basically amounts to a large round cookie cutter to keep the dough from spreading until it is set.
3. Self rising flour can not be substituted in recipes that call for yeast. It is for so-called quick breads which are leavened by baking powder, or sometimes baking soda.
4. If planning to gift loaves in disposable pans: turn out immediately onto rack to cool, then return to pans once completely and totally cool, or the bread will sweat in the pan and get soggy.
You could just wrap them in waxed paper or parchment paper without a pan, if you wanted. Plastic wrap will work, too, but would tend to soften the texture of the crust.
This recipe sounds wonderful, and now that the weather has finally cooled off, I am planning to try baking my own bread for the first time. This will definitely be the first recipe I try!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tried your recipe two months ago and I’m on my fourth batch! I’ve even frozen the loaves and they still taste great when thawed. I’ve added it to my hand-written recipe box, which means it’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have glass pans and also larger metal bread pans.
Would the time or temperature change for the glass loaf pans?
How would the instructions change if I was to use the larger bread pan, 9 1/4 x 5 1/4?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hey, you mentioned in an earlier comment that you made this with a gf flour, which one? I have some in the oven, made with my homemade gf blend, but I had to add almost 3 more cups of water…hoping it turns out…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you thank you thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Other than sourdough bread english muffins are my favorite! But I refuse to pay for them! So theses are perfect! The taste and texture are AMAZING!
I halved the recipe as I only have 2 bread pans and now it’s just me & hubby at home! I let them rise around an hour in one glass and one dark metal pan. I baked about 40 min and then topped with melted butter and baked for another 15!
It is sooooooo delicious is insane! I will be making this ALL the time!!
We can’t thank you enough!
Can you bake all 4 loaves at once? Normally I would only do one at a time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much for sharing a treasured family recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I can’t wait to try this recipe!!! It sounds absolutely wonderful.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for sharing.
Last time I made this, I followed your recipe and it was amazing! This time I used Whole Wheat flour…and it is also amazing! Thanks, I love your blog.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used to have special loaf pan for making English Muffin bread. The loaves came out the size of English Muffins (except being squarish). Unfortunately, somebunny used it for draining oil out of a lawn-mower (grr). Thank you for sharing your mom’s recipe. It sure brings back some memories :)
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