No-Knead English Muffins

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Homemade English muffins are easy to cook in a skillet on the stovetop, starting with a no-knead dough you stir together in about 2 minutes. A single 12-hour rise on the counter does all the work, so there is no kneading and no second rise.

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Counter Rise12

Total Time33

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: English muffins

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Louise

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Silicone spatula
Plastic wrap or a container with a lid
Cutting board
Bench scraper (optional)
Large skillet or pan with a lid
Small tray or sheet pan
Instant-read thermometer
Cooling rack
Fork (for splitting)

Ingredients

Dough

1½ cups bread flour about 205 grams; bread flour is important here, see notes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt use ¼ teaspoon if using regular table salt
⅛ teaspoon instant yeast yes, just ⅛ teaspoon
⅔ cup milk warmed to about 110℉/43℃, no hotter than 120℉/49℃
1 tablespoon salted butter melted into the milk while it warms
1 tablespoon water

For Shaping

flour for dusting the work surface and the outside of the dough
cornmeal for the bottoms of the muffins, the tray and the pan

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Warm ⅔ cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of salted butter, letting the butter melt into the milk as it warms. You want it at about 110℉/43℃, warm but not hot. Do not let it go past 120℉/49℃.
1 tbsp salted butter, ⅔ cup milk
In a mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups (about 205 grams) of bread flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of kosher or fine sea salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of instant yeast. Stir with a spatula to mix.
1½ cups bread flour, 1 tsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt or fine sea salt, ⅛ tsp instant yeast
Pour in the warm milk and butter and fold it in with the spatula until it comes together into a very shaggy dough ball. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix it right in. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Do not knead it.
1 tbsp water
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or use a container with a lid, and leave it on the counter at room temperature for about 12 hours. Do not put it in the refrigerator. At a normal room temperature of 68-72℉/20-22℃, 12 hours is the sweet spot. In a warm house (75-80℉/24-27℃), check it at 8 hours. In a cool house (around 60℉/16℃), it will take longer. It is ready when it has doubled in size and is full of bubbles. The top may look a little dry, and that is fine.
Lightly coat your cutting board or a clean countertop with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Use flour only on the outside of the dough; do not knead flour into it. Sprinkle a little flour on top and gently pat it out. Divide the dough into 4 roughly equal portions (or 5 smaller ones) with a bench scraper, or simply pull it apart.
flour
Working with one piece at a time, brush off any excess flour, then fold the dough in on itself to form a ball, almost like making a roll. Make sure it is completely sealed together on the underside, or it will break apart on the bottom as it rises in the pan.
Set the sealed bottom into a little cornmeal and press the dough down to about ½ inch thick. Add a little flour or cornmeal to the top if you like. Place it on a tray dusted with cornmeal and repeat with the remaining pieces. There is no second rise; they are ready to cook right away.
cornmeal
Heat a large pan with a lid on the stove over medium-high heat until the bottom of the pan is really hot. Add the muffins, cornmeal side down, and cover the pan with the lid. If the cornmeal starts to burn, your heat is too high. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes to trap steam, brown the bottoms, and let them rise up a little.
Remove the lid, flip the muffins, and turn the heat down to about medium. Leave the lid off from here on. Cook for about 5 minutes, at least 2 to 3 minutes on this side, so they cook from this side up into the center.
Flip the muffins back over and cook for about 5 more minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 200-205℉/93-96℃. Thicker muffins will take longer. If they are not there yet, give them a few more minutes and check again.
Turn off the stove and move the muffins to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before splitting, or the inside will be gummy. To split, poke a fork in all the way around the middle and pull the halves apart. Toast and serve.

Notes

PREP TIPS
• Plan ahead. The dough takes about 2 minutes to mix, then rests on the counter for about 12 hours. Mix it in the evening and cook the muffins in the morning.

COOKING TIPS
• Turn the heat down to about medium after the first flip.
• An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way to know they are done. Aim for 200-205℉/93-96℃ in the center.

DOUGH TIPS
• Use bread flour. Since there is no kneading, bread flour is what builds the gluten and keeps the dough strong through the long overnight rise.
• The tablespoon of water adds the extra hydration the dough needs to build gluten without kneading.
• Let the dough rise at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Cold slows it down.
• Use flour only on the outside of the dough when shaping. Do not knead flour into it.
• Seal each portion completely on the underside so it does not break apart as it rises in the pan.

NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.

Nutrition