Today I'm sharing these whole wheat English muffins that are not just definitely a healthier option but these beauties have absolutely NO white flour or refined sugar.
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Soft & Fluffy
Ok, so when we hear the word whole wheat bread we will automatically imagine a dense bread, right?
Yeah, I know since that's the typical texture of whole wheat bread out there. But you know what? I will prove you wrong with these whole-wheat English muffins 😉
These muffins use only whole wheat flour (yes, no other flour mix here) and I guarantee you a soft fluffy texture on the inside, and when toasted you will get a crunchy texture on the outside.
The secret is working with whole wheat flour (at least personally for me) is using egg. It helps to avoid that dense texture and instead, you'll get these amazing soft and fluffy breads/muffins.
Check out my everything but bagel whole wheat pull-apart bread recipe, you'll see 😉
And hey, of course, this one too! So if you're worried if these are going to be horrible, then worry not. Alright?
Healthier Breakfast Option
Why do I say that? In this recipe, I'm using healthier ingredient options like in our easy no-knead multi-seed bread.
Whole wheat flour is a better and healthier ingredient compared to all-purpose flour, if you're thinking of going healthy. Well, I have to admit. With all the holidays and being carefree (maybe a bit too much? 😀 ), I always like to start the new year with somewhat healthier options. Don't you agree?
Whole wheat flour is high in fiber and protein content. Consuming high-fiber food items is always good for our health. I mean, there's no secret about that.
I'm also using honey and extra virgin olive oil instead of sugar and butter. Another 2 more healthier ingredients 😉
And this recipe is the non-traditional way of making English muffins so it's faster. No overnight rise whatsoever.
It's All About The Fork
Yeah, baby!
So let's forget about our beautiful bread knives for these English muffins, we won't need any. In fact, the rule says (I don't know who invented it though 😀 ) that to slice up an English muffin, it is mandatory to use a fork.
What? A fork?
Yes! A fork. Ok, so what you do is start stabbing all around the muffin with a fork, in a straight line of course. And then gently pull the muffin apart into 2. Genius, right?
And believe me, you will want to use a fork if you want that rough crunchy texture after you toast your English muffin.
Using a bread knife will make the surface too flat. Too boring in this case. And warm English muffins open up easier than cold or room temperature ones, just letting you know. Toast and spread my walnut basil pesto, oh la la!
In Summary
These English muffins are:
- perfect for your healthier breakfast option because they're made with healthier ingredients
- use only whole wheat flour with no other flour mixes
- soft and fluffy!
- easier to make than you'd think
- delicious and perfect for both sweet and savoury
Hungry For More Healthier Breads?
Check out these beauties:
- No-knead cheese whole grain bread
- Everything bagel pull-apart bread
- Fast no-knead multiseed bread
- Mollete bread (Andalusian breakfast bread)
Video
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat English Muffins (Healthy, No White Flour Or Refined Sugar)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup whole wheat flour (325 g)
- 1 tablespoon honey (20 g)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (7 g)
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- ¾ cup warm whole fat milk (185 ml)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients in a standing mixer bowl machine, using the dough hook. Mix everything together and then knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky, don't worry.
- Using a dough scrapper, scrap the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover it tightly with a cling film. Leave for the dough to rise until double its size, around 1 hour.
- Place the risen dough on a working surface and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Form each pieces into a ball and flatten them slightly with your fingers. Place them on a baking tray with a parchment paper and some sprinkled semolina. Cover with a cling film and leave until they double their size, around 30 minutes.
- Note: Since this is a sticky dough, I'd recommend you to lightly grease your dough scrapper and your hand when working with it.
- Lightly flour the working surface if needed, to avoid the dough from sticking.
Cooking & Baking
- Heat a pan on medium low heat. Gently scoop the balls, one by one with a flat spatula and place it on the pan. Do them in batches and don't crowd the pan too much, to make it easier to flip them later. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and place them back on the baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 320ºF (160ºC) for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Place them on a rack. While still slightly warm, stab all around the muffins in a straight line, using a fork. Gently pull the muffins apart into 2. Toast and enjoy them however you like, sweet or savoury!
- Note: Use the scoop and level method for measuring flour (if using cup measurement). I'd recommend using scale to be more precise.
Amy Garcia says
I was wondering if I could add yogurt for a higher protein intake? What would you recommend
Bea & Marco says
Hi Amy! We haven’t tested this recipe with yogurt, so we can’t give you an exact amount with confidence. If you’d like to experiment, we’d use it as a partial swap for some of the milk rather than adding it in extra, since this is a yeast dough and yogurt would change the dough balance and texture. Hope that helps 😊
Lily says
I was wondering if I could add cinnamon and raisins to this. If so how much would you recommend? Thanks in advance for your help!
Bea & Marco says
Hi Lily! Yes, you can add both. We haven’t tested this version ourselves, but for this amount of dough we’d suggest starting with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and about ⅓ cup raisins. If you want it a bit more raisiny, you could go up to ½ cup, but we wouldn’t add too much more or the muffins can get a bit crowded. We’d also recommend kneading the raisins in right at the end, just until evenly distributed. Hope that helps! 😊
Lynda says
I do not have a standmixer…can you knead by hand..if so for how long
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Lynda. The dough will be sticky but yes, it's totally doable by hands, with patience. Lightly grease your hands with oil to avoid it sticking too much. Knead around 10 minutes. Hope it helps!
Felicia says
Can you substitute no fat milk for whole fat milk? My husband has a liver issue and can’t have whole milk.
Bea & Marco says
Hi Felicia! Yes, you can absolutely use no-fat (skim) milk instead of whole milk in this recipe. The texture will be just slightly less rich, but it will still work well. If you’d like a touch more softness or flavor, you can also try using 1% or 2% milk, whichever fits your husband’s dietary needs best. Hope that helps, and we wish him the best of health! 💛
Margie says
It's my first time to make this english muffin i feel so happy because I am able to follow and did it perfect!
Bea & Marco says
We’re thrilled to hear that you nailed the recipe on your first try. Thanks for your lovely feedback ❤️!
SamK says
Like another reviewer my dough was extremely dry, I added a splash more milk but it still didn't seem right.
Thinking I had nothing to lose I carried on following the recipe.
It worked out and they taste delicious.
Advice to anyone who is experiencing the dry dough. Go with it because they will still work out!
I would make them again but would probably add maybe 1 cup of milk.
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Sam! We're happy to hear that it worked out for you and you enjoyed them. The dough was dry due to the way of measuring flour. We highly recommend using a kitchen scale; however, for cup measurements, use the spoon and level method. This will avoid using excess flour, which, in the end, will make the dough very dry. Hope it helps. Thank you for giving the recipe a go and for your feedback!
Amanda says
Absolutely lovely! They turned out light & fluffy & I used wholegrain spelt flour. Did all the measurements in grams and the dough was easy to handle with a little oil as mentioned by the authors.
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're thrilled to hear that, Amanda! Yes, a kitchen scale is a better option as it's more accurate, especially when working with dough. Thank you for your feedback, and sorry for the late reply, as we've recently moved house and are still figuring things out!
Char says
I want to try it but I don’t have a standing mixer. What instructions would you give for hand mixing?
Bea & Marco says
Hi Char, just knead by hand until you get the same dough like I showed in the video. It will take longer but it's totally doable.
Kelly Hyland says
Why isn’t my dough sticky? I followed the ingredients and instructions so not sure what I could have done wrong.
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Kelly. It has to be the excess flour. Use the spoon and level method when you're using cup measurements, this will avoid the excess flour in the dough. I strongly recommend investing in a kitchen scale as it's more precise (I use it all the time). Hope you'd give it another try!
Giselle says
I can’t wait to try these. I use whole wheat for all the breads I make, including Pizza and Focaccia. I don’t have whole fat milk and am hoping using the only sub I have will work, which is almond milk.
Bea & Marco says
We love making bread with whole wheat flour! Let us know how did it go with the almond milk!