This sourdough English muffin recipe is so easy, you will want to make them all the time! And so tasty, that the kids will like them too! Fresh, hot English muffins in the morning at breakfast will bring smiles all around the table!
Check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
These are chewy and delicious, like store bought ones but with another depth of flavor-and depending on how long you let the dough ferment- a little tangy to boot. Why make them? The real question is why not make them? As long as you have a happy, bubbly sourdough “pet”, you probably already have everything else you need to make these in your kitchen.
Flour (as does many foods) contains phytic acid, which is difficult to digest. As sourdough ferments, the bacteria in the sourdough called lactobacilli breaks down the phytic acid, making the nutrients found in the wheat/bread more easily absorbed by our bodies. This also breaks down the sugars in the flour, meaning the absorption of sugars in the blood stream are significantly lower than with conventional breads, making sourdough a good choice for those concerned with blood sugar levels. And just a healthier choice all around!
I start the morning before I want to make the sourdough English muffins simply by feeding my sourdough starter. I just stir in roughly one cup of flour and one cup of water. A mixture of whole wheat and unbleached white flour is my go-to for all my baking. Then the starter just hangs out and sits on the counter bubbling away until that evening. After supper I mix up the dough.
To make these, you will need:
Flour
Milk
Himalayan salt
Raw Honey
Active Sourdough Starter
Cornmeal Or Semolina
First mix your starter, salt and honey in a glass mixing bowl. Add lukewarm milk and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir in the flour, 1/2-1 cup at a time until well incorporated.
To do this, you will need to turn it out on a floured surface and knead it for a few minutes.
The dough should be somewhat elastic, and spring back when you poke it with your fingers. Slightly tacky is also good, as you do not want it slimy or over dry. If it sticks to your hands, just dust with flour.
Next, place into a greased glass bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise and ferment on the counter all night (8-12 hours). You can let it sit for up to 24 hours. We fond that we like it best closer to 12 hours.
The next morning, or 8-24 hours later, dust a clean surface with flour. Roll out your dough until it is roughly 1.5″ thick. I just used my hands to flatten it out, but you can use a rolling pin if you like. Try not to work the dough too much. Over working the dough can make the muffins tougher than desirable.
Now cut out your English muffins! I use my grandfather’s doughnut cutter without the center piece. It is 2.5″ in diameter. This makes cute little English muffins, smaller than the ones at the store. If you wish to make bigger ones, like for breakfast sandwiches with large sausage patties, just use a bigger cutter.
After your muffins are cut out, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina. Sprinkle more on the tops and cover with damp tea towel or cloth napkin. Allow to rise 30-60 minutes in a warm place. If your kitchen is cold, you can preheat your oven and place the sheet on top of the range where it’s warm. Just watch that your range top doesn’t get hot enough to actually start cooking them.
Then preheat a cast iron skillet (well seasoned) between low and medium. You might have to play around a little with your stove’s particular settings. You want it hot enough to cook but not hot enough to burn the bottoms before the middles are done. Once the skillet is hot, cook your English muffins with a lid on top. Check them at 3-4 minutes.
When the bottoms start to brown, flip with a spatula and place the lid back on. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
Once they are cooked, place on a plate or cooling rack and allow to cool before storing. We usually can’t wait for them to cool and immediately slice and toast them!
Slice and toast your fresh, yummy Sourdough English muffins and smother in butter! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for about a week.
Easy Sourdough English Muffins
This sourdough English muffin recipe is so easy, you will want to make them all the time! And so tasty, that the kids will like them too! Fresh, hot English muffins in the morning at breakfast will bring smiles all around the table!
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Flour
- 3/4 Cups Active Sour Dough Starter
- 2 T Raw Honey
- 1 3/4 Cups Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
Instructions
1. The night before you want to make the English muffins, mix together the honey, sourdough starter, and salt.
2. In a small saucepan gently warm the milk just 'till lukewarm. Add to the starter mixture.
3. Stir in flour, 1/2-1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. If dough is too wet, add small amounts of additional flour just until slightly tacky. You may find you do not need 4 full cups of flour. In this case just add enough to make the dough stiff, and slightly tacky but not overly dry.
4. Knead the dough on a well floured surface for 10 minutes or so, dusting with small amounts of flour as needed.
5. Place dough into greased bowl, and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover with a damp towel and let rise on the countertop overnight for 8-24 hours.
7. In the morning flatten your dough on a floured surface 'till 1.5" thick, cut out your English muffins.
8. Place English muffins on a pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with a damp tea towel or cloth napkin and let rise in a warm place 30-60 minutes.
9. Preheat a cast iron skillet between low and medium heat. Cook the English muffins on one side for 3-4 minutes until bottom is browned with cover on skillet. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes, covered.
10. When English muffins have cooked, cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Or slice and toast immediately and smother in butter!
Enough detail in the directions that maybe even I can make this work. Thank you🤗 love you!
Love you too! 😘