Traditional English Muffins Made in a Cast Iron Pan

English muffins aren't baked. They're cooked in a pan on the stovetop, which is why the outside gets that toasted, slightly rough crust while the inside stays soft and full of holes. Six ingredients, one bowl, no oven required until the very end.

The dough is wet and a little sticky, and that's normal. You mix it, let it sit for an hour and a half, cut out circles, let those rise for 45 minutes, then cook them low and slow in a cast iron pan dusted with cornmeal. Bread flour gives you a softer, airier crumb than all-purpose, so use it if you have it.

The one thing that catches people out is heat that's too high. The pan needs to be low enough that the muffins brown over several minutes, not thirty seconds. If they darken fast and stay raw in the middle, the oven step at the end saves them.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Warm the milk and yeast

Warm the milk to 45°C (113°F), stir in the fresh yeast, and set the bowl aside for a few minutes. It should start to look slightly foamy.

2. Mix the dry base

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, water, sugar and melted butter. Pour in the milk and yeast mixture.

3. Knead the dough

Knead until the dough is smooth and even, about 8 to 10 minutes by hand. It will still feel a little tacky, and that's what you want.

4. Let it rise

Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for 1.5 hours, or put it in the fridge overnight. It should roughly double and look bubbly.

5. Cut the circles

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut circles with a cookie cutter. Press straight down without twisting. Re-roll the scraps once.

6. Second rise

Lay the circles on a cornmeal-dusted tray and let them rise for 45 minutes. They'll look puffy and feel light when you lift one.

7. Cook in the pan

Heat a cast iron pan on low and dust it with cornmeal. Cook the muffins until golden brown on each side, flipping once. Work in batches so the pan stays hot.

8. Finish in the oven if needed

If the centers still feel doughy, move them to a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter and jam.

How to Store Traditional English Muffins

Tips & Tricks

• Warm the milk to 45°C (113°F). If you don't have a thermometer, it should feel warm on your wrist, never hot.
• Knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl. A sticky dough is fine, a lumpy one isn't.
• Let the dough rest 1.5 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge if that suits your schedule better.
• Cut the circles with a cookie cutter and press straight down. Twisting seals the edges and stops them rising evenly.
• Let the cut circles rise 45 minutes before they hit the pan. They should look puffy and feel light.
• Cook on low heat in a cast iron pan dusted with cornmeal, flipping once, until golden on both sides.
• If you're unsure they're cooked through, put them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Variations

Whole wheat swap

replace 1 cup of the bread flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier muffin. Add a splash more water, since whole wheat drinks it up.

Sourdough version

use ½ cup active sourdough starter in place of the fresh yeast and let the dough rise longer, until it looks bubbly and doubled.

Cheesy tops

scatter a little grated cheddar over the muffins in the last minute in the pan for a crisp, savory crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional English Muffins Made in a Cast Iron Pan

Chewy, craggy English muffins you cook on the stovetop in a cornmeal-dusted cast iron pan, with a soft, airy crumb that soaks up butter and jam.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time180 minTotal6Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon fresh yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. 1Warm the milk and yeast — Warm the milk to 45°C (113°F), stir in the fresh yeast, and set the bowl aside for a few minutes. It should start to look slightly foamy.
2. 2Mix the dry base — In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, water, sugar and melted butter. Pour in the milk and yeast mixture.
3. 3Knead the dough — Knead until the dough is smooth and even, about 8 to 10 minutes by hand. It will still feel a little tacky, and that's what you want.
4. 4Let it rise — Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for 1.5 hours, or put it in the fridge overnight. It should roughly double and look bubbly.
5. 5Cut the circles — Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut circles with a cookie cutter. Press straight down without twisting. Re-roll the scraps once.
6. 6Second rise — Lay the circles on a cornmeal-dusted tray and let them rise for 45 minutes. They'll look puffy and feel light when you lift one.
7. 7Cook in the pan — Heat a cast iron pan on low and dust it with cornmeal. Cook the muffins until golden brown on each side, flipping once. Work in batches so the pan stays hot.
8. 8Finish in the oven if needed — If the centers still feel doughy, move them to a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter and jam.

Cook's note: Cook one muffin as a test before the whole batch. It tells you in two minutes whether your pan is too hot, and that saves the rest.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: British

Course: Bread

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes180 minutes