Sourdough English Muffins

5 from 1 vote

Light, airy, and buttery with perfectly crisp edges, these Sourdough English Muffins are so much better than store-bought! Naturally leavened with sourdough starter, they rise overnight and cook right on the stovetop for an easy homemade breakfast.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rise Time12

Total Time12 40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: English Muffins

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Feed sourdough starter

50 grams sourdough starter ¼ cup
50 grams all-purpose flour ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon
50 grams water ¼ cup

English Muffins

150 grams active sourdough starter ⅔ cup
330 grams milk 1⅓ cups
20 grams honey 1 Tablespoon
30 grams butter melted and slightly cooled, 2 Tablespoons
500 grams bread flour 3½ cups
10 grams salt 2 teaspoons
Cornmeal or semolina for dusting
4 Tablespoons butter optional for cooking

Instructions

Feed sourdough starter: About 4 hours before making the English Muffins, build a levain or feed your sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (50 grams starter: 50 grams flour: 50 grams water). Cover and let it rest at 80°F (27°C) until bubbly and doubled in size.
50 grams sourdough starter, 50 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams water
If you don’t have extra starter, add an extra 5–10 grams to each portion (starter, flour, and water), so you have enough to bake with and still keep your starter going.
Skip this step if your starter is already activated and ready to bake with.

If you want to feed your starter 10–12 hours in advance, use a 1:5:5 ratio (15 g starter: 75 g flour: 75 g water). Leave it at 70–72°F (21-22°C) until bubbly and doubled.

Prep the ingredients: Melt the butter and let it cool slightly until no longer hot to the touch. Warm the milk in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it is slightly warmed, not hot.
30 grams butter, 330 grams milk
Mix the dough: Add the melted butter, warmed milk, active sourdough starter, honey, bread flour, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
150 grams active sourdough starter, 20 grams honey, 500 grams bread flour, 10 grams salt
Knead the dough: Knead for about 3–4 minutes with the dough hook attachment, until the dough is well combined. The dough will still feel tacky, but it should hold together and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
If you don't have a stand mixer, mix the dough with a dough whisk until fully combined.

If the dough is very wet and isn't holding together, gradually add a little more flour until it comes together. Be careful not to add too much, as the dough should still be soft and tacky, not dry.

Bulk ferment overnight: Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. At around 68–70°F (20–21°C), this will likely take about 8–10 hours.
Shape the English muffins: Lightly sprinkle your work surface with cornmeal and turn the dough out onto it. If you’re not using cornmeal, you can lightly flour the surface instead. Gently press the dough into a rectangle with your hands, keeping it about ¾ inch thick.
Cornmeal or semolina
Cut the English muffins: Use a 2½- to 3-inch round cutter to cut out the English muffins. I like to use a regular-mouth canning jar ring, which is 2¾ inches in diameter and makes 12 English muffins. Gently press the dough scraps back together and continue cutting out rounds until there isn't enough dough left to make another.
Second rise: Generously sprinkle a sheet pan with cornmeal or semolina. Place the English muffins on the pan and sprinkle additional cornmeal over the tops. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about 1–2 hours, or until noticeably puffy.

To refrigerate before cooking: If you need to delay cooking the English muffins, let them rise at room temperature for about 1 hour before transferring them to the refrigerator. About 30–60 minutes before cooking, remove them from the fridge and place them in a warm spot to come to room temperature and finish rising if they aren’t already puffy.

Cook the English muffins: Preheat a large, heavy skillet with a lid over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until really warm. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter in the pan.
Transfer the English muffins to the preheated skillet, leaving space between each one. I can fit 6 at a time in my 12-inch skillet. If you’re unsure whether your pan is at the right temperature, I recommend cooking one English muffin first to test the heat.
Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5 minutes without moving the English muffins. If the bottoms are burning or browning too quickly, your pan is too hot, so reduce the heat before cooking the remaining batches.
Flip them and cook for an extra 4-5 minutes with the lid on until cooked through. Before adding another batch of English muffins to the skillet, melt another 1-2 Tablespoons of butter.

The English muffins are finished when the centers reach about 200°F (93°C). If the outsides are browning too quickly before the centers are done, reduce the heat.

Cool and split: Transfer the English muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool before opening. For the best nooks and crannies, use a fork to poke around the edges and gently pull the muffin apart rather than slicing it with a knife.

Notes

Make sure the pan is preheated before adding the sourdough English muffins. If the pan is not warm enough, the English muffins will not puff up as much, leading to a flatter muffin.
Add butter between each batch to give the English Muffins a buttery and crispy outer layer. While this is optional, I love how delicious they are with the butter.
Use a pan with a lid to create steam and help them puff up and keep the crust soft. If you don't have a pan with a lid, you could cover the top with a sheet pan. It can also be done without a lid, they just may not puff up as well.
Use a cutter 3 inches or less. During my first test, I used a wide mason jar, and they turned out way too big. I found the regular-mouth canning jar ring, which is 2¾ inches in diameter, makes the perfect-sized muffins, but you can use whatever size cutter you’d prefer.

Nutrition