These Sourdough English Muffins are a delicious way to use some of that sourdough discard in your fridge. Tender, delicious and easier to make than you might think!
Oh my goodness these Sourdough English Muffins! Tender, flavorful, chewy, and so pretty to look at with all the happy little nooks and crannies.
If you couldn’t tell after reading the post about these Sourdough Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins, I have enough sourdough discard in my fridge to make an endless supply of pancakes, waffles, cookies, muffins, etc. These Sourdough English Muffins were another perfect way to use up some of my discard.
I mean, who doesn’t love English muffins? And sourdough English muffins are even more scrumptious if you ask me.
A toasted English muffin with butter and peanut butter is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. Because I love them so much, making English muffins has been on my bucket list for while now. I can happily tell you that it’s now crossed off my list and I am beyond happy with how amazing they turned out and how simple they are to make.
A few helpful tips . . .
- You will get the best sourdough flavor if you refrigerate the dough for 24 hours before shaping and cooking the muffins. (*I’ve honestly never waited the 24 hours and they are still delicious. One of these days I’ll be patient enough to wait the 24 hours.)
- I recommend using a stand mixer to make these, but a hand mixer will work too.
- Place the dough in a warm place to rise quicker.
- If you don’t have a round cutter you can shape the dough into rounds by hand.
- Rolling them 1/2″ thick may seem too thin, but they raise enough and will end up being the perfect thickness. I rolled some thicker and ended up loving the batch I rolled 1/2″ thick the best.
- Cook them in batches so you don’t overcrowd the skillet.
- You can easily halve this recipe if you don’t want to make 2 dozen muffins.
- Use a serrated knife to cut open the muffins when you are ready to serve them.
I honestly had no idea how simple English muffins were to make and they’re as good or possibly even better than store-bought muffins.
Oh and yes, toasted is the only way to go, but promise me you won’t forget to spread these with salted butter and jam. Or peanut butter and honey (my fav!!). Or butter and honey. Or raspberry jam. anything your sweet little heart desires.
Can I freeze sourdough english muffins?
Yes, English muffins freeze extremely well! Slice them first and then place them in a Ziploc freezer bag, making sure it’s sealed completely. You can let them come to room temperature or if you’re toasting them, put them in the toaster frozen, they will just take a little longer to toast.
What can I use to cut out english muffins?
If you don’t have English muffin rings, you can use a biscuit cutter (that’s what I use), a wide-mouth jar, a drinking glass, etc. Just make sure it’s at least 3 1/2 to 4″ in diameter.
Sourdough English Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minute
- Yield: 24 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454g) water, warm
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter discard
- 6 1/2 to 7 cups (780g to 840g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (56g) nonfat dry milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon salt
- yellow cornmeal, for coating
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the sugar, water, yeast, sourdough starter, flour, dry milk, butter and salt.
- Using the dough hook (or you can use a hand mixer) mix the dough until smooth dough forms. The dough should be soft and elastic, but not overly sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it’s doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Cover it, and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the gluten to relax. Divide the dough in half and working with one piece at a time, roll 1/2″ thick, and cut using a 3 1/2″ to 4″ cutter. Re-roll and cut any remaining scraps. Repeat with the remaining half of dough. (*You could also divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape each piece into a round ball, then flatten each ball into a 3 1/2 – 4″ round.)
- Place on a baking sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal to keep from sticking to the pan. Sprinkle a little more over the top, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise until light and puffy, about 45 to 60 minutes. (*If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, the rise time will be about 2 hours.)
- Heat a non-stick skillet over med-low heat (or a griddle set to 350 F). Transfer the rounds and place them in the heated skillet. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side or until they are a deep golden brown on the bottom. Be sure to adjust the heat if the English muffins are burning or getting too brown. They will finish cooking all the way through in the oven.
- Transfer the muffins to a preheated 350°F oven and bake 6 to 8 minutes or until the muffins interior shows no sign of wet dough or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a muffin registers 190°F.
- Remove the muffins from the griddle, and cool on a rack. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 4 or 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- To measure you flour, either weight it or gently spoon it into a cup, then sweep off any excess. I like the texture best using 6 1/2 to 6 3/4 cups flour.
- For most pronounced sourdough flavor, cover the bowl, and immediately place it in the refrigerator (without rising first) and let it chill for 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature 1 hour before proceeding with the next steps.
- I don’t typically include the weight measurements, but I have for this recipe since the King Arthur website has it included in the recipe. It is helpful to ensure you get the correct amount of starter and flour so these turn out perfectly.
- Prep Time: 20 mins + rise time
- Cook Time: 15 to 18 mins
Recipe Source: King Arthur Baking
Hi Jodi!
Hope you are doing well.
Thanks for this recipe, I am going to try them. I have a cup out on my counter of starter that I was trying to think of something to do with it. Now I know!!
★★★★★
How do you prepare a sourdough starter?
Hi Krisit! I am not a sourdough expert, I’ve just learned from looking things up online. If you search “how to make sourdough starter” you will find plenty of websites/food blogs that will show you.