These are THE BEST gluten free English muffins you’ll ever try – and they’re super easy to make! They’re deliciously soft with all the nooks and crannies you’d expect from a proper English muffin. The dough handles beautifully, you can knead it and shape it without any problems whatsoever, and you can cook them fully on the stovetop, no need to turn on the oven.
Here it is: the long-awaited and much requested recipe for THE PERFECT gluten free English muffins.
I must’ve cooked up about five hundred variations of these over the last couple of weeks (at least that’s how it feels!) to get them as perfect as possible… and this is it.
These are perfectly soft, deep golden brown on the outside and when you split them in half, you uncover the perfect crumb full of all those lovely nooks and crannies you’d expect from a proper English muffin. They’re easily opened with the help of a fork, just like you would with the regular, wheat-containing version.
They’re also super easy to make: this is definitely a minimal effort, fail-proof recipe – honestly, most of the time is spent waiting for the English muffins to proof or cook, the actual active prep time is negligible. The dough comes together very easily either by hand or with a stand mixer and it handles beautifully, you can knead it and shape it without any issues whatsoever.
And the great thing about this recipe is that you can cook these gluten free English muffins completely on the stovetop – no need to turn on the oven. The key to the perfect crumb lies in cooking them low and slow: that way, you ensure that they’re fully cooked through and also perfectly deep golden brown by the time they’re done.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making these amazing English muffins – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
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Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
What are English muffins?
English muffins aren’t actually muffins… and they also didn’t originate in England. Instead, they’re round, fairly flat yeast-leavened bread that’s a breakfast staple in the US (though they’re sometimes also made with a sourdough starter). What makes them different from many other bread and bun recipes is that they’re cooked on the stovetop instead of in the oven (although some recipes use a stovetop and oven combination).
They were developed in the US by a British ex-pat, Samuel Bath Thomas. They were essentially his twist on the British crumpet, and he trademarked his invention in 1926.
They’re typically served split horizontally in half and you’re not supposed to cut them with a knife. Instead, the easiest way to open them up is to prick the sides with a fork and then pull the two halves apart. This really accentuates all the nooks and crannies in the crumb that English muffins are famous for.
How to make THE BEST gluten free English muffins
I know I’ve said this before (several times)… but these gluten free English muffins are one of the easiest gluten free bread recipes I’ve ever shared. The dough is super easy to make, either by hand or with the help of a stand mixer. Then, you just need to divide it into 8 equal portions, shape them into balls, place them on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, pat them down to flatten them slightly, dust them with a bit more cornmeal and proof for about 1 hour or until they’ve approximately doubled in size.
It really is that easy! And there’s honestly not much that could go wrong with this recipe, it’s pretty much fail-proof. Just make sure to follow the recipe to the letter and, for best results, weigh your ingredients with a digital food scale.
Cooking gluten free English muffins
The great thing about this recipe is that you can cook these gluten free English muffins completely on the stovetop – no need to turn on the oven.
The key is to cook them low and slow: 11-12 minutes on each side over a low heat, in a cast iron skillet, griddle or frying pan. This ensures that they’re fully cooked through in the time it takes them to gain a lovely deep golden brown colour on the outside.
Then comes the most difficult part of this whole recipe: you need to allow them to cool *completely* before you split, fill and eat them. I know, you’d like nothing more than to tuck into them while they’re still warm – but resist that temptation. The crumb needs time to properly cool and set, so I recommend cooling them for at least 1 hour. If you try to eat them still hot or warm, you’ll find the interior quite sticky.
What makes this recipe work?
- Psyllium husk acts as a gluten substitute (binder) and gives you a gluten free dough that you can easily handle and shape. It also gives the dough enough flexibility and extensibility so that it can expand, first during proofing and then during cooking. You can read more about the role of psyllium husk in gluten free baking here!
- The high hydration of the dough results in an open crumb – that way, when you split your English muffin, you’ll get all those lovely nooks and crannies.
- A custom blend of gluten free flours, relatively low in starches, ensures that despite the high hydration your English muffins won’t turn out sticky or gummy. It’s VERY important that you don’t use a shop-bought 1-to-1 gluten free flour for this recipe, as those tend to have a high starch content and they won’t give you the correct texture (your English muffins can turn out sticky, gummy and/or dense if you use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour).
- A mix of water and milk gives you the perfect texture. Many regular, wheat-containing recipes use milk as the only or the main liquid, but for this gluten free recipe it’s best to use water and milk in a 3:1 ratio – water is better at forming the psyllium gel (which allows you to get a workable, manageable dough straight away) and using milk only would give you much denser, stodgier gluten free English muffins.
- Using oil instead of butter gives you a lighter, fluffier crumb, and also keeps the English muffins softer for longer.
- Cooking them low and slow (11-12 minutes on each side over low heat on the stovetop) ensures that they’re fully cooked through and also perfectly deep golden brown at the same time. Don’t be tempted to cook them for a shorter time (they could end up too dense and sticky inside) or over higher heat (they could burn).
How to store homemade gluten free English muffins
These gluten free English muffins are definitely best on the day you prepare them, but they also keep really well in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in which case I recommend toasting them before serving.
Possible substitutions
Although all the ingredients in the recipe should be easily accessible either in your local grocery store or online, I still wanted to include a list of substitutions you can make. (NOTE: all substitutions should be madeby weightand not by volume.)
- Instant yeast:You can use active dry yeast instead, in which case you’ll have to activate it first. Mix it together with the sugar and milk listed in the recipe and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes or until it starts frothing and bubbling. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, oil and vinegar.
- Psyllium husk: YOU CAN’T SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A DIFFERENT INGREDIENT. But if you use psyllium huskpowderas opposed to the whole psyllium husk, use only 85% of the weight listed in the recipe.
- Tapioca starch:You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.
- Millet flour:You can use an equal weight of finely ground/milled brown rice flour instead.
- Sorghum flour:You can use an equal weight of white teff flour, light buckwheat flour or oat flour instead (the latter only if you’re not sensitive to oats).
A note on measurements (tl;dr: if possible, use a scale)
While I’ve included the volume measurements (cups and spoons) in the recipe card below, if at all possible (and I really cannot overemphasise this): USE METRIC GRAM MEASUREMENTS IF YOU CAN.
They’re much more precise and produce more reliably delicious results. This is true for pretty much all of baking – a kitchen scale will invariably give better results than cups and tablespoons.
And there you have it: this covers everything you need to know in order to make truly spectacular gluten free English muffins. These have become something of a favourite in our house, even non-GF folks can’t get enough of them. And I love how easy and effortless they are to make – honestly, the most difficult part of the recipe is waiting for them to cool.
I really hope you’ll love them as much as I do.
Happy baking!!
More gluten free bread recipes
If you’re looking for more amazing gluten free bread recipes (that are nearly indistinguishable from their “regular” equivalents made from wheat flour), you’re definitely in the right place!
- Gluten Free Soft White Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Ciabatta Rolls
- The Best Gluten Free Baguettes
- Easy Gluten Free Pita Bread
- Easy 5-Ingredient Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
- The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten Free Challah Bread
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Easy Gluten Free English Muffins
These are THE BEST gluten free English muffins you’ll ever try – and they’re super easy to make! They’re deliciously soft with all the nooks and crannies you’d expect from a proper English muffin. The dough handles beautifully, you can knead it and shape it without any problems whatsoever, and you can cook them fully on the stovetop, no need to turn on the oven.
Print Rate SAVE
5 from 14 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook/Bake Time 25 minutes mins
Proof Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
Servings 8 English muffins
Author Kat | The Loopy Whisk
Ingredients
- 20 g (4 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium huskpowder, use only 17g.)
- 360 g (1½ cups) lukewarm water
- 160 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)
- 140 g (1 cup + ½ tbsp) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead.)
- 120 g (¾ cup + 3 tbsp) sorghum flour (You can use an equal weight of light buckwheat flour, white teff flour or oat flour instead. Use the latter only if you're not sensitive to oats.)
- 25 g (2 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
- 8 g (2½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 10g.)
- 8 g (1½ tsp) salt
- 120 g (½ cup) whole milk, lukewarm
- 20 g (1½ tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil
- 10 g (2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
- cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
Making the dough:
You can prepare the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment or by hand.
Make the psyllium gel:In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (if using), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt.
Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with the sugar and milk, and set it aside for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture starts frothing.Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the wet ingredients.
Add the milk, oil and vinegar to the psyllium gel and mix well to combine.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel-milk mixture.
Knead the dough until it's smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour.
The final dough should be smooth and supple, and it'll be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make your English muffins too dense and dry.
Shaping & proofing the English muffins:
Sprinkle a large baking sheet evenly with cornmeal and set aside until needed.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it a gentle knead, shaping it into a ball.
Divide the dough into eight equal portions, each should weigh about 125g.
Shape each portion into a smooth ball and place it onto the cornmeal-covered baking sheet. Press down gently on the dough ball to flatten it slightly, until it's about 1¼-inch (3cm) thick.
Repeat with the rest of the dough portions, then sprinkle the tops of the English muffins with extra cornmeal.
Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent them from drying out) and proof in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, put a cup of boiling hot water into your (turned-off) oven – that will create the perfect warm, slightly humid proofing environment.
Cooking the English muffins:
Pre-heat a large cast iron skillet, frying pan or griddle over low heat. The skillet or pan is ready when you can feel the heat when you place your hand a few inches/centimetres away from its surface. Don't grease or butter your cooking surface.
Once they've doubled in size, use a spatula to carefully transfer the English muffins to the hot skillet or pan. (The number of English muffins you can cook at once will depend on the size of your skillet or pan, I usually cook them in two batches, 4 at once.)
Cook the English muffins over low heat for 11-12 minutes, until they're deep golden brown on the bottom. Cook them uncovered – don't cover them with a lid.
Tip: Cooking them low and slow ensures that they’re fully cooked through in the time it takes them to gain a lovely deep golden brown colour on the outside. Don't be tempted to cook them over a higher heat or for a shorter time.
With the help of a spatula, carefully flip the English muffins over and cook them on the other side for a further 11-12 minutes.
Transfer the cooked English muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before you split, fill and serve them.
I recommend splitting them with a fork to get the maximum amount of nooks and crannies in their interior: prick the sides with the tines of fork all the way round and then pull the two halves apart.
Tip: It's VERY important that you allow the English muffins to cool completely to room temperature before you eat them. The crumb needs time to properly cool and set, so I recommend cooling them for at least 1 hour. If you try to eat them still hot or warm, you’ll find the interior quite sticky.
Storage:
These gluten free English muffins are definitely at their best on the day you prepare them, but they keep well in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in which case I recommend toasting them before serving.
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