Sourdough English Muffins
You won’t be able to go back to store bought English muffins once you try these. Sourdough flavor, light and airy on the inside and golden-brown on the outside, they’re delicious as the base of a breakfast sandwich or with a bit of honey and peanut butter.
Prep Time: 36 hours (accounting for all steps including fermentation and cold proofing)
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1.5 days
Yield: 9 English muffins
Ingredients
½ cup (100 grams) active sourdough starter
1 tablespoon (15 grams) honey (or maple syrup)
1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, slightly warmed
3 cups (350 grams) bread flour, spooned and leveled. You can also use all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) fine sea salt
¼ cup cornmeal (for dusting)
Instructions
5 hours before you plan to start your muffins, feed your starter if it’s not already active. To feed your starter add about a 1/2 cup of AP flour and 3-5 tablespoons of water and stir until the consistency is like thick pancake batter. Let the mixture sit at room temperature in a loosely covered jar for 4-5 hours until it expands by 2 – 3x and is bubbly. If you already have active starter, proceed to step 2.
In a large mixing bowl add starter and milk and whisk with a fork until combined and frothy, then add the honey and whisk to incorporate.
Add flour and salt. With a spatula or a bread whisk, mix all ingredients together until a shaggy dough starts to form.
Cover bowl with a dish towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough by hand for 5 minutes or until the dough ball is smooth and elastic. You can also use the dough hook of a stand mixer on low speed.
Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with a towel. I also like to put the towel-covered bowl in a bag to keep the dough from drying out. Let rest on the counter for 6-8 hours to bulk ferment. The timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen (my dough is usually ready in 7 hours in a 70-degree kitchen). You’ll know it’s fully fermented when the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough is fermenting, prep a baking sheet with parchment paper and a dusting of cornmeal. After the bulk fermentation, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Using a 3“ biscuit cutter, cut out English muffins and place on prepped baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to cold proof. You may need to re-roll your dough scraps one or two times to use it all up as you’re cutting out the muffins.
In the morning or once you’re ready to cook the muffins, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Place three or four English muffins, evenly spaced, into the skillet and cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip muffins over, recover the skillet with a lid and cook for another 3-4 until they’ve fully risen and both sides are deep golden brown. Repeat in batches until all muffins are cooked.
Let cool for a few minutes before cutting open and enjoying with a spread of peanut butter or your favorite jam!
Tips & Tricks
Similiar to the sourdough bread, I recommend using a food scale and measuring in grams with this recipe- that will allow for more precision and the right ratios.
I love to make a batch of these and use them to prep breakfast sandwiches. Once the muffins have completely cooled, cut them all in half and top with your favorite ingredients: bacon egg and cheese, veggies eggs and Swiss are some of my favorites. Wrap them in parchment paper and store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
You’ll want to make sure your skillet has been heated all the way through before starting to cook or you won’t get that golden crust on the outside of the muffins. Heat the skillet for at least 5 minutes before adding the muffins. To keep them from burning, ensure you heat your skillet over the low end of medium low heat and keep it there for the duration of cooking.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 muffin serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~200 kcal
Protein: ~6.6 g
Total Fat: ~1.5 g
Carbohydrates: ~41 g