Fresh Milled English Muffins
Fresh milled English muffins are stovetop-griddled rounds with the classic nooks and crannies, made with freshly milled hard wheat for a chewy, flavorful crumb.
Key Takeaways
- Keep the dough wet — about 75% hydration — for the open, craggy interior.
- Use cornmeal on the parchment, not extra flour, to prevent sticking.
- Griddle low and slow: 6 minutes per side at 300°F.
- Always split with a fork, never a knife, to expose the nooks.
About this recipe
Griddled English muffins with a tender, nook-and-cranny interior, made with freshly milled wheat. Yields 10 muffins. Prep 20 min, first rise 90 min, shape 15 min, second rise 45 min, griddle 10 min per batch.
Prep: 35 min
Bake: 12 min
Hydration: 75%
Ingredients
- freshly milled hard white wheat flour450 g (about 3 3/4 cups)
- whole milk, warmed340 g (1 1/2 cups)
- instant yeast5 g (1 1/2 tsp)
- granulated sugar15 g (1 Tbsp)
- fine sea salt8 g (1 1/2 tsp)
- softened butter30 g (2 Tbsp)
- coarse cornmeal for dustingas needed
Instructions
- 1
Whisk flour and warm milk in a stand mixer bowl. Cover and autolyse 30 minutes.
- 2
Add yeast, sugar, salt, and softened butter. Knead on medium 6–8 minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky — resist adding flour.
- 3
Cover and rise 90 minutes until nearly doubled.
- 4
Dust a sheet of parchment generously with cornmeal. Turn the dough out and gently press to about 3/4-inch thick. Cut 10 rounds with a 3-inch cutter.
- 5
Place rounds on the cornmeal, sprinkle tops with more cornmeal, cover with parchment, and rise 45 minutes.
- 6
Heat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron pan to 300°F (low-medium).
- 7
Cook muffins 6 minutes per side, flipping carefully. They should be golden brown and read 200°F internal. If browning too fast, lower the heat.
- 8
Cool completely on a rack. Split with a fork. Store airtight 3 days or freeze split up to 2 months — toast straight from frozen.
new to fresh-milled flour? start here — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
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Related Techniques
How to Autolyse Fresh Milled Flour
Combine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
How to Increase Hydration Successfully
Raise water in 5% increments, autolyse longer, and lean on stretch and folds instead of kneading.
Related Troubleshooting
How do I know if my dough is under-proofed?
Dough goes into the oven before fermentation has built enough gas and gluten extensibility, producing a dense, tight loaf.
Why is my crumb too tight and dense?
Bread with a uniformly tight, small-holed crumb rather than the open, airy structure you wanted.
Why is my fresh milled dough too sticky?
Fresh milled dough sticks to hands, bench, and bannetons and never feels manageable.