Sourdough English Muffins

"Found this recipe on the internet, unfortunately I can't remember where. These take some advance planning, however they are delicious and easy to make! I've made them in my little galley on the sailboat. To ensure that muffins are done inside, be sure to bake them on a very low heat. If using english muffin rings a cookie sheet can be placed over the top after turning them once."
 
Download
photo by Galley Wench photo by Galley Wench
photo by Galley Wench
photo by Isha F. photo by Isha F.
photo by Erin  Von M. photo by Erin  Von M.
photo by PAHunter62 photo by PAHunter62
photo by Dutch in Vermont photo by Dutch in Vermont
Ready In:
12hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
8
Yields:
18 muffins
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Night Before:

  • Mix starter, honey and milk in mixing bowl until smooth.
  • Add 4 cups flour, mixing in 2 cups at a time.
  • Mix only until the flour is thoroughly wet.
  • Cover with clean towel and leave at room temperature in a draft free place for 12-16 hours.
  • Next Morning:

  • Stir down mixture.
  • Sprinkle a scant teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons salt over the surface of the dough and work into dough.
  • Flour board with 1 cup flour and knead until dough is medium stiff - adding more flour as needed. The dough should be moist but not sticking to your hands.
  • Once enough flour has been added, knead an additional 5 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.
  • Roll dough on floured board to about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Cut the dough with a 3-4 inch round cutter -- keeping them uniform in thickness and diameter.
  • Place them on wax paper sprinkled with corn meal, taking care that they do not touch.
  • Sprinkle corn meal over tops of muffins.
  • Allow to rise in warm place, covered, for about an hour or until risen again.
  • Preheat a griddle or frying pan with small amount of butter (add a little olive oil to keep from smoking). If using muffin rings, preheat them on the grill.
  • Using a low flame or heat setting, bake one side for 4-5 minutes and turn. Place lid over the muffins to help them cook all the way through. Turn only once so be sure the one side is cooked before turning.
  • Squish down a bit with spatula and pan bake other side for another 4-5 minutes.
  • Look like store bought . . . taste even better!

Questions & Replies

  1. What hydration starter is used?
     
  2. Can I use high gluten bleached flour, I was able to get a 25 lb bag when no other flour was available
     
  3. Do these freeze well?
     
  4. can you use bleached flour? That is all that is available right now.
     
  5. Hey! Do you think you could make half the recipe and it would still work? Thanks!
     
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. I've been looking for a good recipe for English Muffins after trying several tedious ones that have nowhere near the great results as these do. I now only use this one. It makes 17 for me and I use a large electric skillet set at 300 degrees and cook them 6 min. on each side. I use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour in the starter and knead in white flour in the morning. We absolutely love them!
     
  2. i absolutely LOVE this recipe. I've made these english muffins probably a dozen times already and every time they turn out perfect..they're so easy, and fairly quick to put together and cook that I can't imagine I'll ever buy premade muffins again. My only adjustments I've made are to the cooking method. I spritz them with water when I first put them in the pan and cover them with the lid for the first 6 minutes. After that, I remove the lid and flip the muffins and let them cook for 6 more minutes. I find that misting them helps them get puffier. So far I've made cranberry and cinnamon raisin variations. Thank you so much for this recipe! :)
     
  3. Wonderful flavor and texture! I added almost 2 c flour during the next day's mixing, used the Kitchenaid with the dough hook to knead, then turned out and rolled. Mine didn't rise quite as much as I would have liked the second time, more out than up, but puffed up beautifully in the skillet. Followed Tweaker's advice to cook these with a lid and it worked great. Love the tang from the sourdough starter.
     
  4. Oh man... I became a member of Genius Kitchen JUST so I could give this recipe 5 stars! They were so easy and turned out perfectly. I halved the recipe since we are just a family of 5 and I don't need 18. I was able to get 9. So I did 1/2 cup of proofed starter, 1 TBSP honey, 1 cup milk, and 2 cups flour the night before. Then the following morning, I added 1 scant tsp baking soda (I forgot by morning that it was supposed to be half, but they turned out fine) and 1 tsp salt. Then I folded it into 1/2 cup flour but needed another 1/2 cup, so 1 cup total. I cooked on ML heat in a cast iron for 5 minutes each side. They were SOFT inside. Nice and tangy from the sourdough. Smothered in butter - so dreamy. And kid approved, too! I will NEVER eat a store-bought english muffin again. THANK YOU! I'll pop the left overs the freezer and see what happens, but I think they will be just fine thawed and toasted.
     
  5. These were great. I converted to metric and used slightly less starter. I used the following: 200g discard sourdough starter 500g Organic AP flour 480g whole milk 18g liquid honey ——————— Mixed together at 2pm and left overnight on countertop (21°C) —————The following day (9am) added 6g baking soda 12g sea salt Sprinkled this over the dough, then pinched in with a wet hand. 250g Organic AP Flour added as follows: Scattered 125g on counter, then dumped dough out on top. Used a bench scraper to incorporate, then added additional 125g (in 3 additions) folding in with bench scraper. Let dough rest a few mins before pressing (didn’t bother using a rolling pin) into an oval about 1/4 inch thick on a floured silicone mat. Used edge of pint glass (3 1/2 inch) to cut out muffins, then lightly pressed them into cornmeal before onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Proofed 2hrs Cooked in lightly buttered cast iron pan over lowest heat (gas) 5 mins per side. Did not cover after flipping as many did and they cooked great. Airy crumb, delicious tang of the sourdough. Thanks! **Next time I will set the muffins directly on a sheet pan scattered with cornmeal when proofing as there was a bit of an issue with sticking on the parchment.
     
Advertisement

Tweaks

  1. I took the advice and cooked covered in a deep skillet with a lid, spritzing the tops with water, and that worked well. Also, because getting a cooked middle continues to be an issue, though I am doing 7 minutes the first side, and 5 the next. (I let one skillet-full go for almost 10 minutes on the first side because I got caught up doing dishes and they had the best puff and were the most cooked through). I might do 5 mins a side next time and then pop them in a 400?F oven for 5-7 minutes to finish them -- this is what my old English muffin recipe did, and it worked well to get a fully cooked centre.
     
  2. Just got back into sourdough baking and made these again this morning. To get more whole grain goodness in the muffins I used part spelt, sorghum and unbleached flour. These make the most delicious English Muffins.
     
  3. Recipe calls for a low flame or heat setting. My griddle uses degrees Fahrenheit instead of heat settings. I used 325° and they turned out beautifully.
     
  4. I cooked mine in two cast iron frying pans with lids, on a low heat, for about 5 minutes per side. I put lids on the pans, and dried off the lids with some paper towel between sides, since they had become wet. No butter or oil was needed.
     
  5. I used lactose free milk, cuz that’s what I had, other than the texture being a little bit different then store bought, the flavor was awesome
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside . . . Chardonnay in one hand . . .chocolate in the other; the body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes