English Muffin Loaf (Toasting Bread)

Easy English muffin bread is perfect for toasting and has all of the craggy, craters and toasty bits that hold those pools of melting butter. No fail, no knead recipe with just one rise! Freezes well, too.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Rising time 30

Total Time 1

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If you love homemade bread as much as we do, next time check out these other Restless Chipotle no knead bread recipes!

A slice of toasted english muffin bread with jam. — *`Tons of crags and craters plus the crusty bits make this English muffin bread the best!`*

Table of Contents

❤️ Why you'll love it
📋 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
🎥 Video
🥫 Storage
💭 Things to know
👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs
🔍 What Is Gloopy?
📚 Related recipes
📞 The last word
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

Reader Review: (5 stars) Made this tonight, and I was a little nervous as I’ve never attempted bread before. Easy recipe to follow and turned out absolutely delicious!!! Was going to share my second loaf with a neighbor but I changed my mind after the first bite! ~Rachel

Big, holey texture that butter and honey can pool into like real English muffins.
Takes less than an hour!
No kneading required.

Let's start with the fact that it's a perfectly toastable, no fail loaf. No kneading, waiting for hours for it to rise, you don't even need to pull out the mixer!

Stir the ingredients together, scoop in to a loaf pan, let dough rise for about 20 minutes and then bake! Yeast bread just doesn't get easier than this!

Homemade English muffin bread is delicious spread with melty butter and honey or jam... but try it for French toast sometime. It's unbelievable!

You might even love it better than regular English muffins.

Here's an easy no knead sandwich batter bread that you'll love, too!!

📋 Ingredients

You'll just need basic ingredients for this recipe - most are probably in your pantry.

🔪 Instructions

This is an easy, no-knead yeast loaf. You don't need a mixer or a breadmaker - just a big wooden spoon!

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

Step by step images for making the bread. — *Step by step images for making this easy English muffin bread recipe.*

Butter two 9x5-inch bread pans.
Dust with cornmeal.
Add the sugar to the water in small bowl.
Stir in the yeast.
Set aside until foamy.
Blend the dry ingredients.
Add the yeast mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk.
Add ENOUGH FLOUR TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH.
Spoon the dough from the large bowl into each prepared loaf pan. Try to keep the amount of batter in each one equal. Set aside in a warm place to double. Dust the tops of the dough with cornmeal and bake until the top of the loaves are golden brown.
Cool loaves.
Slice.

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🎥 Video

Just click on the image below if you'd like to see the full length video on YouTube. It opens in a new tab so you won't lose your place here.

🥫 Storage

This simple English muffin bread will stay fresh for a day or two if it's sealed in an airtight food storage container and kept at room temperature. From scratch recipes don't last as long as commercial loaves.

For longer storage wrap it securely in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil (or put it in a freezer container) and freeze for up to 3 months.

I like to slice it up, place parchment squares between the slices, and freeze it that way. When I need a slice or two it's easy to get out without thawing the whole loaf.

You may think I am crazy but this is the BEST bread to spoon leftover Angel Chicken over for a comforting, quick meal.

💭 Things to know

This is an easy bread recipe to stir together by hand. I DO NOT recommend making it with an electric mixer because it will get over beaten, even on low speed, and your perfect texture will be lost.

Expert Tip: You can let the dough for this English muffin loaf rise overnight in the refrigerator if you want to save time in the morning or if you prefer to develop the flavor more. Spray plastic wrap with no stick spray and cover the batter so it won't dry out.

You can use instant yeast - just add it in with the dry ingredients and skip the first step.
You can make two large loaves of English muffin bread with this recipe or you can double it and make four. I'd double it if I were you — it tends to disappear quickly and you can freeze it.
Use coarsely ground cornmeal to dust the pans. It will give you that flavor and craggy texture that the conventional English muffins have. If you don't have any cornmeal you can just dust the pan with flour instead. Not a big deal but not as good either.
Make sure your water temperature isn't too hot nor too cold. This is important! Use a thermometer if you're not an experienced baker.
Just use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
The batter should be very loose and gloopy. If you add too much flour you won't have those lovely nooks & craters, crags and crannies! See the video or step by step images for a visual of gloopy.
Your rise time may vary. In a cool kitchen you may need a bit longer and in a warm kitchen it may be a bit shorter.
Don't cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it while it's warm. Cool and then be sure to slice and toast it. It makes perfect toast!
You don't need glass bread pans - any kind you have will be fine. I prefer glass but that's a personal preference not a requirement.

I've seen a lot of images for similar recipes (sometimes called toasting bread) on Pinterest. It bothers me that so many of the slices look almost exactly like a slice of regular bread.

As far as I am concerned it's not right unless it has that coarse, bumpy texture (to hold the butter and honey, of course) and distinct flavor. It shouldn't taste like bread at all! It's got to taste like a...

(say it with me...)... ENLISH MUFFIN!!!

Accept no substitutes!

👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs

Sliced loaf of english muffin bread. — *Perfect slices of English Muffin bread with big craters to hold melted butter.*

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

Can you make this in a bread machine?

Yes you can but I don't recommend it. The bread machine over mixes the dough and you don't get the great texture. I had one reader say that it broke her machine. This ONLY requires stirring and it's so easy. Making it by hand is best. If you must - I've given instructions in the body of the post.

Is the cornmeal necessary?

Not really. It does help give the English muffin bread that traditional flavor and texture, though.

How do I know when it's done?

There are a couple of ways. Using an insta-read thermometer is easiest. Just poke it down in the center of the loaf and it's done when it's 190F -200F. You can tap it and it will sound hollow. Once you get some experience you'll just know!

Mine collapsed! What did I do wrong?

It sounds like it rose too long. Check out this troubleshooting guide for yeast doughs.

Will a plant based milk work?

Yes, that should be fine!

I don't use bulk yeast. How many packets should I use?

2 packets will work just fine.

🔍 What Is Gloopy?

Visual of what the dough should look like at the proper consistency. — Dough for English muffin bread should look like this when you scoop it into the bread pans.

I've had so many people ask what a gloopy dough is so I grabbed one of the images from the video. This is the perfect texture!

It's a very wet dough. Usually if you can't get the bumpy texture like in my pictures you've added too much flour because you're afraid of the sticky dough.

Slice of toasted english muffin bread on a white plate — English toasting loaf is the perfect vehicle for melted butter and jam!

More homemade bread recipes

This cinnamon raisin bread is made right in a slow cooker.

📞 The last word

Make this easy egg bites recipe to go alongside! Add this rhubarb pineapple jam from my friend Deb at Bowl Me Over and omigosh...heaven.

Y'all, I've been making this SO many years and it never gets boring! So delicious and it works every. single. time.

Be sure to watch the video so you can see the texture that the dough should have. As long as you match that texture you'll be fine.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

English Muffin Bread Recipe

4.71 from 1692 votes

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Rising time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories:155

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

▢ 4 ½ cups flour, you may need less or a little more
▢ 2 tablespoons yeast, or 2 packets
▢ 1 tablespoon honey, or sugar
▢ ¼ cup warm water, 110F
▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
▢ 2 ¼ cups warm milk, 110F
▢ Butter and cornmeal for greasing and dusting the pans

Instructions

Mix the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside.
Stir the salt, baking soda, and flour together.
Add the milk and one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture.
Blend well.
Add the remaining flour, OR ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A SOFT GOOPY DOUGH and beat.
You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy. See the video for a visual.
Spoon the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and dusted with the cornmeal.
Set aside in a warm place until the batter has doubled and is at the top of the pans, or a little above. This may take 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F
Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake for 15 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
Cool and slice.

Notes

The pans I use are 9x5-inch.
ANY kind of loaf pan is fine - I prefer glass but you can use aluminum, cast iron, or whatever.
You can make two large loaves of with this recipe or you can double it and make four. I'd double it if I were you — it tends to disappear quickly and you can freeze it if you need to.
Use coarsely ground cornmeal to dust the pans. It will give you that flavor and slight texture that the conventional English muffins have. If you don't have any cornmeal you can just dust the pan with flour instead. Not a big deal but not as good either.
Just use all-purpose flour in this recipe. No need for bread flour.
The batter should be very loose and gloopy. If you add too much flour you won't have those lovely nooks and crannies.
Don't cave to the temptation to slice it and eat it hot. Cool at least part way and then be sure to slice and toast it. It will be better that way.
You can make this with whole wheat flour, half whole wheat and half white.
Feel free to add raisins, dried cranberries, dates, etc. About ½ cup is right.
You don't need glass bread pans - any kind you have will be fine. I prefer glass but that's a personal preference not a requirement.

Bread Machine Instructions

Note: I don't recommend a bread machine but if you must use one here's what you do -

Cut the ingredient measurements in half.
Place all of the ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine, or as instructed by the manufacturer.
Program for basic white bread with a light crust.
Remove when done baking.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

Originally published August 2011. Last updated January 13, 2023 for editorial improvements.

Comments

4.71 from 1692 votes (1,379 ratings without comment)