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Enjoy the irresistible taste of freshly baked English muffins without the fuss of kneading. This No Knead English Muffin Bread delivers soft, nooks-and-crannies goodness right from your oven.
English muffin bread is a delightful twist on the classic breakfast favorite. This no-knead wonder combines the best of both worlds: the delicious nooks and crannies of traditional English muffins, and the ease of homemade bread baking. With its warm, crusty exterior and soft, airy interior, this bread is not only nourishment for the body, it’s nourishment for the soul as well.
Why This Easy Recipe Works
This bread dough mixes up in no time, and what I love the most is that there is no kneading…which means much less mess. It smells heavenly while it’s baking, and turns out perfect every time. It makes an amazing breakfast, and an equally good snack.
Ingredient Notes + Variations
- It works well to substitute half of the all purpose flour with white whole wheat flour. Bread flour should not be used.
- Any kind of milk can be used with the exception of skim milk. The milk needs to have some fat content.
- Make sure your active dry yeast is very fresh. I don’t recommend using instant yeast or rapid rise yeast for this recipe.
- Since this is a yeast-activated bread, no baking soda or other leavening is needed.
- The ingredients are very simple, and except for possibly the cornmeal, they are all pantry staples.
How To Make
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, on low speed, lightly mix together half of the flour (2 1/2 cups) and all of the active dry yeast, sugar, and salt. (A large bowl and an electric mixer can also be used.)
- Combine the 2 cups milk and the 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup.
- Warm the milk/water mixture in the microwave until it reaches 105 degrees F.
- Add the warm milk/water mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix together on medium speed for 1 minute. WAIT 3 MINUTES FOR THE YEAST TO ACTIVATE.
- In 3 increments, add in the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a large rubber spatula or sturdy spoon.
- Put the dough out on a flour covered surface. Shape and turn 3 times.
- Cut the dough in half. Put each half in a loaf pan that’s been prepared with Baker’s Joy and dusted with cornmeal. (Crisco, vegetable oil, or butter can be substituted for Baker’s Joy.)
- Dust tops of loaves with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Set in a warm draft-free place and let the dough rise until the loaves are above the sides of the pans. (The loaves double in size in about 30-40 minutes.)
- Bake for 35 minutes. Bread is done when outside of loaves are golden brown. Double check doneness by tapping on the top of the loaves. If they sound hollow, they are done.
- Remove bread from the oven. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Remove bread from pans. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Helpful Tips
- Any kind of loaf pan can be used, but I prefer glass or ceramic. Loaf pan size: 9 inches x 5 inches. (Loaf pans seem to vary slightly in size. If your pans are close to 9 x 5 inches, they will work.)
- A stand mixer works best. It’s possible to make this bread using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer. It definitely doesn’t work to mix it by hand.
- If using a stand mixer, a dough hook can be used in place of the paddle attachment.
- I use Baker’s Joy spray to prepare my baking pans. Butter, vegetable oil, or Crisco can be used as well.
- The dough will rise in any warm place in your kitchen. My favorite spot is on top of my oven. (I turn my oven on so the space warms up more quickly.)
- Slice your loaves of bread with a large serrated knife.
How To Serve, Store, + Freeze
- This English Muffin Bread is delicious fresh and hot from the toaster. Serve this perfect toast with butter, any kind of jelly or your favorite jam, peanut butter, or almond butter.
- Use slices of this bread as the base for your favorite breakfast sandwich.
- Store your loaf of bread in a resealable bag in the refrigerator. It’s fine to slice it all at once, or slice it as you go. Either way works.
- To freeze, wrap an unsliced whole loaf of bread in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or Press’n Seal, and place it a resealable freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Alternate single serving freezing method: Slice your loaf of bread. Place the slices, 2 at a time, in resealable quart size freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
English Muffin Bread for Gift-Giving
This easy English Muffin Bread recipe makes a lovely, made-from-your-kitchen gift for family and friends. It has wonderful texture, with lots of nooks and crannies, and is an especially nice gift during the holiday season. Just package a loaf in a bread bag, or cellophane bag. Tie the bag off with a piece of festive ribbon, and add a custom gift tag. To get the free printable gift tags, just fill out the form at the end of the post.
This recipe for English muffin bread is a delightful blend of tradition and convenience. Its simplicity, versatility, and amazing flavor make it a great addition to your breakfast rotation. Whether you’re savoring a slice toasted to perfection with a smear of butter or using it as the foundation for a breakfast sandwich, English Muffin Bread offers endless possibilities. So, why bring the magic of freshly baked bread into your home? With every loaf you bake, you’ll not only enjoy the delicious results, but also carry forward a rich tradition that has warmed hearts and filled kitchens for generations.
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Homemade English Muffin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup water
- cornmeal
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, on low speed lightly mix together 2 1/2 cups of the flour, and all of the active dry yeast, sugar, and salt. (A large bowl and an electric mixer can also be used.)
- Combine the 2 cups milk and the 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe vessel.
- Warm the milk/water mixture in the microwave until it reaches 105 degrees F.
- Add the warm milk/water mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix together on medium speed for 1 minute. WAIT 3 MINUTES FOR THE YEAST TO ACTIVATE.
- In 3 increments, add in the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a large rubber spatula.
- Put the dough out on a flour covered surface. Shape and turn 3 times.
- Cut the dough in half. Put each half in a loaf pan that's been prepared with Baker's Joy and dusted with cornmeal. (Crisco, vegetable oil, or butter can be substituted for Baker's Joy.)
- Dust tops of loaves with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Set in a warm draft-free place, and let the dough rise until the loaves are above the sides of the pans. (The loaves double in size in about 30-40 minutes.)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake loaves for 35 minutes. Bread is done when outside of loaves are golden brown. Double check doneness by tapping on the top of the loaves. If they sound hollow, they are done.
- Remove bread from the oven. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Remove bread from pans. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
My family loved this bread! It was easy to make and it turned out perfectly! Thank you Ann for sharing this recipe.
I don’t understand the instructions on #6- Put the dough out on a flour covered surface. Shape and turn 3 times.
What does shape and turn mean?
Hi Michele! Once you put the dough out onto a floured surface, using your hands, just shape it into a circle as best you can. Do this three times, turning the dough over each time. This makes it easier to divide the dough into two sections. Enjoy the bread!
Thanks! I get it now. Looking forward to giving this a try!
Great idea Ann.. you always have delicious recipes..I have made quite a fewof your recipes, especially your quick breads.😋
Ann, I am so happy that you are sharing your wonderful recipes with us in your new recipe series! Thank you so much for doing this.
Your previous recipes have all been delicious. You are always so thoughtful and you are appreciated so much!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks again, Ann. I will look forward to your recipes on Fridays!
Thanks for the great bread recipe! I am looking forward to this new recipe series.
Good morning, hope you are having a joyful Spring. This new series is a wonderful little gift for our weekends. I usually prep my Sunday food on Saturday mornings to keep my Sunday “work-free.” This will be a very nice addition and the timing is just right. I have tried an English Muffin bread recipe in the past but it was very dense and heavy. I think I used bread flour (since I am a bread maker) and that high protein content likely caused the issue causing a gluten overdevelopment. This will also make a nice tea bread for my afternoon monthly tea with friends. Thank you and best wishes for the series.
This really is super easy. My loaves rose in the cold microwave in about 30 minutes. I recommend this!
This is my go to bread when we have house guests. Bake in advance and freeze. Guests are so happy with this addition to breakfast. A no stress way to WOW!
Our family is known for our fabulous breads. We make regular old English muffins somewhat regularly, but the cutting and griddle cooking times are kind of a pain. This bread is the answer. It is fabulous! It doesn’t completely replace the “need” for genuine EMs (as we lovingly call them), but does it EVER do a GREAT job of filling all those I-just-want-a-nice-toasted-EM cravings!!! Eleven thumbs up from our family! Thanks!!! And easy… My 8 year olds are making another batch right now!
5 Stars!!
I made only one loaf, so cut everything in half. Very easy to make, I think from start to finish it was only hour and a half. I don’t own a mixer, so I used my Bread Machine to just mix, No kneading or rising. Just letting it run until it was in a dough ball. Removed that, put into a greased glass Pyrex loaf pan.
Set that upon my preheating oven, covered with white cotton dish towel. It had risen to one inch above the pan within 35-40 minutes. It turned out beautifully! I agree with the one comment, I will add 2 tsp of Salt next time for the one loaf. I let the yeast rest upon the warm Organic whole milk, water, and sugar mixture for 5 minutes, then added rest of ingredients and started machine. In the past I’ve tried a minimum of 5 English Muffin Bread recipes, but this is the one I will definitely be making again! Thanks for an awesome, easy, tasty recipe!
I tried another recipe I found on Pinterest and ended up with white bread. Your recipe is great! I got the most yummy English muffin bread, with the perfect nooks and crannies! Thank you!
Love this bread! It’s not only great for breakfast but also makes a great crusty bread as a side to dinner. I’ve never had English muffin bread before and I’m very impressed. I also like that all the ingredients are so basic I should always have them on hand. Thank you!
I have made this English Muffin Bread now many times and it is the only bread recipe I like. It is so quick, easy, and delicious. With that said, although we are trying to eat healthier by cutting out most salt and sugars, I actually seem to like this bread with double the amount of salt and sugar. Before this recipe I would only eat nutty whole wheat breads, but now to my surprise I prefer this one with my breakfast every morning. I hope to find this recipe with a twist possibly made with herbs (I experimented on my own :( without success). My fingers are crossed. Thank you for this recipe.
I made this yesterday and it was really delicious! It is so easy and quick! I love English Muffins and this will be my go to recipe! Thank you Ann 😋
I made this bread for my hubby yesterday and he loved it! Had it again this morning as toast and again it was wonderful. Came on your site to compliment you on sharing the recipe and noticed that mine had the sugar omitted – as someone else mentioned. It tasted great anyway! Hubby is diabetic so it worked out fine leaving the sugar out! Thanks again for sharing this awesome recipe with us!
My husband made your English Muffin Bread (using skim milk) and we both love it! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Ann! Thank you for this easy recipe! I made the bread today and served it with my husband’s homemade split pea soup. We both really enjoyed this bread and look forward to having it for breakfast tomorrow! Just a note that the sugar is omitted in the instructions I printed. Also, your readers may like to know that the yeast called for is equivalent to two individual packets of dry yeast. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!