Sourdough English Muffins
These light and fluffy sourdough English muffins are filled with all the nooks and crannies. Try them out in a cast iron skillet or in the oven - whatever method suits your time (and baking preferences) best!
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 Cast iron skillet or baking sheet
- 1 Bench Scraper
- 1 Food Safe Thermometer optional
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Sourdough Starter See notes about active starter vs. sourdough discard
- 1-1/2 tsp Honey Can substitute sugar or agave
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 TBS cornmeal For dusting
Instructions
Knead Dough + Bulk Fermentation
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients but the cornmeal. The dough should come together by hand and not stick to the side of the bowl. If needed, add flour a tablespoon at a time to create a cohesive dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold the dough until it can stretch no longer. Complete the series of stretch and folds three times, about every 30 minutes. Cover the dough between stretch and folds. (Stretch and folds would look like this: Mix dough, rest, wait 30 minutes, complete stretch and folds - repeat two more times). Allow the dough to rest at room temperature on the countertop until dough has doubled in size.This could take as quick as 4 hours or 8-12 hours depending on the temperature of your home and if you use active starter or sourdough discard.
Shape and Second Rise
- Shape the dough into individual English muffins. To make a 'large' English muffin size - we weigh out 3 ounces (85 grams). To shape, tuck the edges of the English muffins to the bottom until they are a round shape. Place them into the palm of one hand and use your fingers on the opposite hand to press down almost like you are making finger prints (like dimpling when making focaccia). Do not use a rolling pin - it will pop too many bubbles! This step will help them to 'flatten', which will help with creating a 'flat' shape on top rather than a 'dome'. Next, coat both sides in corn meal and place them onto an oiled baking sheet. Do not put them on parchment paper (or they could stick - and if you bake them in the oven, the bottoms will not 'crisp up' / turn golden brown).Once all rolls are shaped, allow the sourdough English muffins to rise until doubled in size. This can take 1-3 hours depending on the temperature of your home. You will know when these are done proofing when they have doubled in size, when pressed the indent pops back and the exterior is not as 'wet'.
Baking English Muffins: Oven Edition
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a second baking sheet on top of the English muffins - creating a 'dome' shape, (not stacking the coupling pans into each other). This will create steam and allow the English muffins to rise. Allow the English muffins to bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven. Flip the English muffins. Do not add on the top sheet. Place them back in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes to cook the remainder of the way. At this point, you can temp check them to see how close they are to being completely cooked. Fully cooked English muffins will temp between 190 - 200 degrees. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Baking English Muffins: Cast Iron Skillet Edition
- Heat your cast iron skillet to medium low (for us - this is about a 3-1/2 on a scale of 10). Oil your cast iron skillet. Place 4-5 English muffins in your skillet. Cover with a lid. Allow them to bake for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottoms have turned slightly golden brown and easily pull away from the pan. Flip the English muffins, cover and bake for another 4-5 minutes. The English muffins are done once they reach an internal temperature of 190 - 200 degrees. It is important to note the second and following batches will cook faster as the cast iron skillet retains heat!Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Active Starter vs. Sourdough Discard
Because this recipe uses active sourdough discard, no additional leavening agents are needed to create 'rise' within the English muffins. If you do use sourdough discard, consider allowing the impact on rise time. If your starter came from the fridge, the initial bulk fermentation period will take longer as the starter 'wakes back up'. - Importance of Secondary Rise
It is so important for the English muffins to complete a secondary rise. Without this step, they will be dense and not have nearly as many nooks and crannies! Be sure to push both the first and second rise to give the fluffiest, lightest English muffins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffinCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 34.1gProtein: 5.2gFat: 0.9gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 292mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1.4gSugar: 0.8gCalcium: 9mgIron: 1.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!