Citric Acid Free English Muffins (Stovetop)
Homemade English muffins are one of those kitchen projects that feel far more impressive than the effort actually demands, and the stovetop method means you don't even need to turn on the oven. The dough comes together from a short list of straightforward pantry staples — milk, flour, yeast, butter, and a pinch of baking soda — so there's no guesswork about hidden additives or preservatives that often sneak into store-bought versions. For anyone avoiding citric acid, packaged English muffins can be a minefield, since the ingredient frequently appears as a dough conditioner or preservative in commercial breads. Making them from scratch puts you fully in control of every component. The cornmeal dusting is the secret weapon here, giving each muffin that signature slightly gritty crust and keeping them from sticking to the dry skillet as they slowly develop a deep golden color on both sides. The fork-split finish is non-negotiable — those torn, jagged edges create the nooks and crannies that catch butter and turn golden under a broiler in a way a knife-cut surface simply never will. Once you've made a batch, going back to the packaged kind is genuinely hard to justify.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 tbsp fine cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
- 1
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 105–110°F (40–43°C) — it should feel warm but not hot on your wrist. Remove from heat, sprinkle in the yeast and sugar, stir briefly, and let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and the melted butter, then stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms — it will be softer than bread dough and will not fully pull away from the bowl.
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