Sourdough English Muffins
Sourdough English Muffins are surprisingly easy to make and soooo much better than store bought. The active starter in the dough makes the flavor and texture extra special. The recipe takes several hours, but there is very little hands-on time. Stock up the freezer for future breakfasts.
Table of contents
About this recipe
English Muffins are always toasted before eating. So use your starter to make Sourdough English Muffins for a later date. This is a perfect “make ahead and freeze” recipe.
If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough Starter – The recipe was developed using 100% hydration starter. If your starter has a different hydration percentage you will need to adjust the amount of water or flour in the recipe.
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour – Medium content all purpose flour makes a dough with enough gluten for the muffins to rise. You may replace a cup of the all purpose flour with whole wheat or rye flour for whole grain flavor.
- Honey – You can substitute 1/4 cup (2 oz) of granulated sugar if you don’t have honey.
- Corn Meal – Rolling the dough on cornmeal gives the muffins the classic cornmeal dusted bottom crust. You can use flour for rolling if you don’t have cornmeal.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- After the dough is mixed set it aside at room temperature to ferment.
- Every hour fold the dough to develop the gluten and redistribute the yeast.
- The dough is ready when it is lively, light and elastic. This should take 3-5 hours.
- At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or you can proceed with cutting the muffins.
- Roll the dough to 1/2″ thick on a cornmeal dusted surface.
- Cut the muffins using a 3 – 3 1/2″ cutter. Line the muffins on a sheet pan. At this point you can wrap the tray and refrigerate overnight to bake the next day.
- Allow the muffins to rise for 1-2 hours. The rise time will vary depending on the temperature of the dough and the ambient temperature in the room.
- Preheat a cast iron griddle or skillet over medium high heat.
- Set the muffins, cornmeal side down, on the pan. Leave 1″ space between muffins. Cook until the muffins rise up, brown on the bottom and the sides are mostly set, about 6-8 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to keep a constant temperature.
- Flip the muffins and bake until the other side is golden brown and the sides are set, also about 6-8 minutes.
- Completely cool the muffins on a rack before packing into a freezer bag.
How to Serve Sourdough English Muffins
- Sourdough English Muffins should always be toasted before serving.
- To get the best texture don’t slice it with a knife! Use a fork to split the muffin.
- Fork-splitting forms the “nooks and crannies” that hold lots of melted butter.
Storage
- Fresh Sourdough Muffins will keep at room temperature for one day.
- For longer storage, pack the muffins into freezer bags and freeze up to 3 months.
- Microwave a frozen muffin for 10 to 20 seconds. Fork split the muffin, toast and serve.
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
More Sourdough Recipes:
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave a 5-star review.
Sourdough English Muffin Recipe
Sourdough English Muffins are surprisingly easy to make and so much better than store bought. The addition of sourdough starter makes the flavor and texture extra special. The recipe takes several hours, but there is very little hands-on time. Stock up the freezer for future breakfasts.
muffins
Ingredients
- 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- 6 oz warm water (¾ cup)
- 8 oz whole milk (1 cup, scalded and cooled.)
- 25 oz unbleached all-purpose flour (5 cups, see note)
- 3 oz honey (¼ cup)
- 2 oz vegetable oil (¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- cornmeal (for rolling)
Instructions
- Combine 8 oz active sourdough starter, 6 oz warm water, 8 oz whole milk and 2 cups (10 oz) of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until combined. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Add 3 oz honey, 2 oz vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons salt and mix to combine. Switch to the dough hook if using a stand mixer. Add the remaining 3 cups (15 oz) flour and knead about 5 minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and clings to the hook. If mixing by hand, add flour until you can no longer stir, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface to finish by hand.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature. After 60 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure one last time. By now the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature. At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Turn the dough from the bowl and knead briefly to form a smooth ball. Lightly sprinkle your work surface with cornmeal. Roll the dough to 1/2” thick. Cut muffins with a 3” biscuit cutter. Reroll the scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used. You should get about 16 muffins. Place the muffins on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover the pan. (At this point the muffins can be refrigerated overnight and baked in the morning or continue to finish the muffins the same day.) Let the muffins rise until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Preheat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Set the muffins, cornmeal side down in the pan. Place as many muffins as will fit in the pan with a 1" space between. "Bake" the muffins for about 6-8 minutes until the bottom is deep golden brown. Flip the muffins and bake until the other side is nicely browned. Keep an eye on the heat so the muffins don't burn. Adjust the heat as needed. Cool on wire rack. To serve, split and toast.
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
The fermentation time will vary based on the ambient temperature of the room and the temperature of your dough. The dough will start out fairly dense. It should be quite aerated and elastic by the end of the 3 hour fermentation. If the dough is very cool and sluggish you can set the bowl over a bowl of warm water to warm it up a bit.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
I keep a smaller starter and save my discard in the fridge. When I have half the needed amount of starter I mix with flour and water to get the right volume. Wait a couple of hours and its ready. These always turn out beautifully. I might have to try the cinnamon raisin version next time.
Hi! 🙂
THANK YOU so much for this recipe! I started by making just half of the recipe to check it out, It was a TOTAL SUCCESS! Had it with loads of butter an my homemade strawberry jam. I am already making the whole recipe now.
The only thing I changed was that I weighed the entire dough and divided it into the pieces you suggested, in my first case they were 8. Then I proceeded to shape each one as I do with Arepas, about 4″ When they were cold, I cut them all in half with a fork and froze them. Now all we have to do is place the halves in the toaster and voià, the best breakfast!.
Carmen
Barcelona, Spain
These are da bomb!! I’ve used other recipes and they’re good but yours are Grrrreat!! I usually make a sponge overnight then add the rest of the flour. Your method comes out with a lighter muffin with more rise! I did use all milk, not milk and water. Also added cinnamon and raisins to half the batch. I cook them stovetop in cast iron skillets with covers, 275° for 3-4 minutes per side. Perfect!! I am loving your sourdough recipes!! They make sense. Thank you! Blessings.
I just made these with cinnamon raisin last week. So good.
@Eileen Gray, me too! I love this recipe straight up or cinnamon raisin!
I made your recipe for pita bread yesterday. And just started the fermentation for the english muffins. Very inexperienced baker here! My question is, how long should it take to clear the sides of the bowl and wrap around the dough hook? It happened very quickly with both doughs. Doesn’t seem like much kneading. This recipe said to knead it 2-3 minutes though so I let it keep going. It stuck to the sides and got very sticky. Hoping it comes together better during fermentation. Btw, the pita bread turned out great! Not nearly as pretty as yours, but still good. Looking forward to homemade english muffins!
Just knead for the time listed and don’t worry about it. Most of the magic happens during the fermentation. If you made the pita bread you already know how the dough changes during long fermentation.
Hello!!
I just tried this recipe (they are in the final rise, but I am wondering if I did something wrong. My dough was huge! I shaped 16 muffins with a 3inch cutter and still have more than half the dough left?? Also every time I would roll out the dough to 3/8in it was just puffing up again no matter how much i rolled it out – its not a bad thing cause now i have over 30 muffins, but has this ever happened to you?
By “puffing up..no matter how much I rolled out” do you mean it was springing back so the tall was thicker? That’s no so unusual for a bread dough. You will get more muffins if you roll the dough thinner. How did they end up? For me, these muffins tend to spread a bit while they are rising and then puff up again on the griddle.
Yes that is what i mean it kept springing back! (not the most experienced baker) They turned out great they doubled in size after the final rise and cooked well! I put the rest of the dough in the fridge over night and i am going to cook those today so I can compare the flavor! I’m wondering if the cold dough will be easier to roll out. Love the recipe! Thanks for the reply!
The cold dough will probably be easier to roll out because it will have time to relax. The gluten in the dough is like a muscle, it gets tight and need to relax to loosen up.