Deliciously soft and chewy, these gluten free English muffins make the perfect choice for a sweet or savory breakfast. Slather them with butter and watch it all soak into the nooks and crannies or make your very own gluten free breakfast sandwich with a little egg and bacon.
The options are endless with these fluffy, round gluten free English muffins!
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What are English muffins?
English muffins are a bread that’s leavened with yeast. Typically in a round shape and about 3-4” in diameter, they are kind of like regular bread’s hipster cousin. Sure, both end up in the toaster, but the soft and chewy texture of English muffins make them an insanely delicious choice for both sweet and savory breakfasts.
Do I need English muffin rings for this recipe?
No, you don’t need English muffin rings to make this recipe! They are typically used to give the muffins a uniform shape and hold the dough, but they are not necessary.
In order to make these English muffins all the same size and shape, you can divide the dough into six equal portions by either eyeballing it, or using a kitchen scale. (I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale since it’s essential for weighing ingredients in gluten free baking.)
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for gluten free English muffins:
- Warm water: will help activate the yeast. Do not use boiling water, as it will kill the yeast.
- Sugar: the food source for your yeast that will cause it to activate.
- Active dry yeast: once activated, will cause the rise in the dough. Make sure it foams up in the water and sugar mixture, otherwise it means your yeast is dead (and your muffins will not be fluffy).
- White rice flour: a lighter, starchier gluten free flour.
- Brown rice flour: a heavier gluten free flour that contains a little more protein.
- Corn flour: a lighter, starchier gluten free flour. Be sure to use corn flour (which is finely milled) and not corn meal.
- Salt: used as a flavour enhancer for the dough
- Xanthan gum: an essential gluten free binder - don’t skip it!
- Baking powder: helps with leavening, for a fluffier texture.
- Psyllium husk: an essential gluten free binder - don’t skip it! I get mine in the natural health foods section at the grocery store - in the digestive health section. Since it’s a binder, psyllium husk as a supplement can help keep you regular! (Insert poop emoji here…)
- Butter (unsalted, melted): adds flavour and helps doughs rise during baking.
How to make this recipe
This homemade English muffin recipe is super easy to make! The main ingredient here is patience because you’re gonna have to give the yeast a little bit of time to work its magic.
Yeast is activated with some warm water and sugar, then psyllium husk and butter are added. This mixture is added to the remaining dry ingredients... then the fun begins!
The yeast needs time to rise the dough (called “proofing”). Place a clean, dry tea towel on top of the bowl and set it in a warm place for 1 hour. The temperature should feel like a warm hug for your dough, not a roasting bake temperature. (I typically heat my oven to the lowest setting and then keep the door open a bit before proofing.)
After the dough has expanded its volume, it’s ready to be divided into 6 equal portions. On a lined baking sheet, roll the dough into balls and then lightly flatten into a characteristic English muffin shape. Lightly flour the top surface of each dough ball with corn flour and set into a skillet, griddle or frying pan set to medium heat. Cook each side for 5-10 minutes until browned.
Once that’s done, transfer the dough back onto your prepared baking sheet and put into an oven preheated to 350℉ for 20-25 minutes or until the sides of the English muffins are baked.
Tips for making soft and fluffy gluten free English muffins
- Make sure your yeast is working. If your yeast is dead, you won’t get a nice rise during proofing and baking. When you activate your active dry yeast in the water and sugar mixture, it should start to bloom and foam slightly after 10 minutes. If it doesn’t, you have dead yeast and you'll need to get some more.
- Don’t skip the xanthan gum and psyllium husk. Both of these ingredients are the gluten free binders that this recipe needs, since gluten can’t do the job. They help hold things together and give elasticity to the English muffins, so you’ll end up with a soft texture.
- Don’t cut them. To get those beautiful nooks and crannies that everyone loves in an English muffin, pierce all around the edges with a fork instead of cutting. Split them open before toasting and your toppings will love just oozing down into those deliciously soft and chewy pockets of gluten free bread.
Storage for gluten free English muffins
These English muffins are best eaten the day they’re made, but you can store them for later. Store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days and they’ll still taste amazing when toasted.
Can you freeze gluten free English muffins?
You can definitely freeze gluten free English muffins! Once they’ve cooled completely, pop them into a freezer bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave immediately before toasting.
What to eat with English muffins
English muffins make a bomb breakfast with both sweet and savory flavors. I prefer mine with a little strawberry jam (and maybe some peanut butter if I’m feeling extra fancy), but my kids love them plain with just some butter after toasting.
You can also make one heck of a breakfast sandwich with eggs, bacon, or sausage.
Looking for another savory, quick snack option? Top them with pizza toppings and pop into an oven preheated to 350℉ and bake until the cheese melts. They make perfectly snackable mini gluten free English muffin pizzas!
Recipe
Gluten Free English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (365g) warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6g) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon (14g) sugar
- ¾ cup (130g) white rice flour
- ⅔ cup (90g) brown rice flour
- ⅔ cup (80g) corn flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon (7g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (3g) xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoon (10g) baking powder
- ½ tablespoon (3g) psyllium husk
- 2 tablespoon (20g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
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Combine the warm water, active dry yeast and sugar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and bloom. If no blooming or foaminess appears, it means the yeast is dead and new yeast is needed.
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In a separate bowl, combine the white rice, brown rice, and corn flours, as well as the salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder.
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Add in the psyllium husk and melted butter to the yeast/sugar/water mixture and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes to become gel-like.
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Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is thoroughly combined. It should be wet and sticky.
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Place a clean, dry tea towel over the bowl and proof the dough for 60 minutes in a warm location. On the counter will work, as does a warmed oven. The dough will expand, but if the area isn't warm enough for proofing, it may take longer than 60 minutes.
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After proofing, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, roll into balls, and place on the baking sheet. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, lightly coat your hands in corn flour prior to rolling.
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Lightly press down the dough on the baking sheet to flatten and sprinkle the tops with cornflour.
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Preheat a skillet, griddle, or frying pan over medium heat. Gently transfer the dough from the baking sheet to the pan, with the cornflour side down. Sprinkle the exposed dough with more cornflour and reshape the English muffins as needed. Reserve the baking sheet for later.
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Cook the English muffins over medium heat for 5-10 minutes on each side until browned.
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Preheat the oven to 350℉. Transfer the English muffins from the skillet/griddle/frying pan back to the lined baking sheet.
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Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the sides are baked and fully set.
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Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Use a fork to pierce sides of the English muffin to split open and enjoy!
Notes
- I always recommend weighing ingredients when you can, since it provides for a much more accurate gluten free baking experience. Weights (in grams) are provided directly in the recipe.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month
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