Sourdough English Muffins

Ingredients

• ½ cup active sourdough starter (make sure it's active and bubbly! See notes below if you want to use sourdough discard)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup milk (I prefer whole milk for a slightly richer flavor, but low-fat or skim will work too)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the surface you're working on
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• ¼ cup cornmeal (this is for coating the outside of the English muffins before they cook to give them that classic cornmeal texture on the outside, and to help prevent sticking to the pan. If you prefer not to use cornmeal, semolina is a better alternative than all-purpose flour.)

Equipment

• Nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet with a lid (I have this universal lid I use all the time)
• Large bowl
• Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
• Stand mixer with a dough hook (optional, but very helpful. This recipe only needs about 5 minutes of kneading time, so it's totally do-able by hand!)
• Oil sprayer (I love this refillable one, or you can use a brush to brush some oil onto the bowl)

How to make sourdough English muffins

Here's the game plan for making sourdough English muffins:

→ You'll mix the dough together the dough the night before. You'll need about 10 minutes of work and an hour for the dough to rest.

→ The dough will ferment overnight to develop that delicious familiar tangy sour flavor we love in sourdough.

→ In the morning, you'll cut and shape the dough, let the uncooked muffins rest for 15 minutes, and then cook them in a pan on the stove. Enjoy!

Step by step instructions with pictures

In a large bowl, gently stir together the sourdough starter, sugar, and milk. Add the flour and salt and mix until you get a sticky dough. Try not to add too much extra flour, let the dough be a little sticky. Cover and let the mixture rest for 30-60 minutes, until it looks "settled" and smooth. 

Grease a large bowl (spray or brush with oil), transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic kitchen wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours. This is the fermentation stage that develops the sour flavor and makes sourdough bread a healthier option than plain white bread! The longer the fermentation, the stronger the flavor will be.

After fermentation, form the dough into a smooth ball on a floured surface.

Cut the dough into 10 equal parts.

Roll each portion into a ball and slightly flatten to make an English muffin shape.

Coat each side of the dough balls in cornmeal and set aside for 15 minutes to rest.

Preheat a non-stick skillet over low heat. Arrange muffins in the skillet, with about 2 inches of space between each one. Cover and cook the first side for 4 minutes (after 2-3 minutes, check that the bottom is not burning). Flip the muffins and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes over medium heat.

How to serve sourdough English muffins

These English muffins can be used just like you would use a "normal" English muffin. When they're fresh an warm, it's your choice whether you want to toast them. Once they've cooled, I definitely recommend toasting them after slicing. Some ideas for serving:

• With cream cheese and a few slices of homemade lox.
• Buttered with some blackberry vanilla jam.
• Peanut butter and jelly.
• Make a breakfast sandwich with ham, egg, and cheese (or sausage, or bacon... yum).
• Go fancy with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
• Make mini pizzas with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and any toppings you like.
• Use it in place of a bun for a burger or a pulled pork sandwich.

Sourdough discard English muffins

If you want to use sourdough discard, you have a few options:

1. Combine ½ cup discard with 1 cup water and 2 cups flour. Let it sit for at least 8 hours (start this in the morning if you want to make the English muffins the next morning). This will activate your starter and you can proceed with the rest of the recipe, but do NOT add milk, and only add the remaining 1 cup flour when it's time to make the dough. 
2. If your discard is from a very live, active, bubbly starter, you can use it following the recipe as is. It should activate and be happy in the dough with the sugar and long fermentation. You might need to ferment longer or ferment a little in a warmer spot to help it along.
3. If your discard is from a newer sourdough starter that does not double in size regularly, add ½ teaspoon of instant yeast.