How do I get my homemade english muffins to taste like english muffins?
English muffins are not usually baked.  Instead they are cooked in a skillet or on a griddle.  You can bake English muffin dough, but it will turn out like a holey white bread (as you describe).  To cook, heat a skillet or flat griddle to medium (temperature for a griddle would be 350 degrees F).  Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush the pan or griddle with vegetable oil or mist with spray oil, and place on pan 1 inch apart.  Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the bottom would burn if cooked longer.  Carefully flip over and cook 5 to 8 more minutes.  Both sides will be flat.  Transfer pieces to a sheet pan and place in oven on middle shelf for 5 to 8 minutes, until center is cooked.

Also, the recipe that I have for English muffins (in Peter Reinharts' Bread Baker's Apprentice) describes it as an enriched dough, one that has fat added.  My recipe calls for .5 oz. of shortening or butter.