Soft and Fluffy Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
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Homemade Sourdough English Muffins are incredibly soft and the perfect vessel to cradle all of your favorite toppings. Made with an active sourdough starter, these cloud-like muffins will be your newest breakfast delight.
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Are you a big fan of English Muffins, those delightful breakfast gems that perfectly cradle your favorite toppings? If so, get ready to transform your mornings with the Best Sourdough English Muffins.
This simple, yet delicious Sourdough English Muffin recipe promises to be a game-changer in your kitchen.
One of the best parts? This recipe is incredibly easy to make and designed to fit seamlessly into your busy life. I’ve even crafted two baking schedules to accommodate different lifestyles, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the satisfaction of homemade goodness.
But that’s not all – I’m sharing not one, but two shaping techniques that add a touch of artistry to your muffins.
Wondering how these Sourdough English Muffins taste? Picture a perfect blend of tangy sourdough flavor and the classic, irresistible texture. Get ready to elevate your mornings with the Best Sourdough English Muffins!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Super Soft and Fluffy
Unlike store-bought English muffins, which can be dry and flavorless, these Sourdough English Muffins are incredibly soft and fluffy. Seriously, they are like a cloud. This great recipe creates muffins that are rich in buttery flavor, a slight sourdough tang, and a touch of sweetness from the honey.
Easy to Prepare
You won’t believe how simple this recipe is! No endless kneading or clunky kitchen tools are needed. Instead, all you need is to mix for 30 seconds, rise, shape, and pan fry before you can bite into one of the tastiest and softest Sourdough English Muffins you’ve ever had.
Freezer Friendly
I have a small family of 3, so we don’t go through bread too quickly, so I love preparing 1-2 batches of Sourdough English Muffins and then freezing them! You can either freeze them whole or as halves! I like to either pop a frozen one into the microwave to soften, then toast it up in the toaster. It tastes as good as it did fresh from the pan.
Ingredients
Active Sourdough Starter – For the softest and fluffiest Sourdough English Muffins, be sure to use an active and bubbly sourdough starter for the best rise. No need for baking soda or commercial yeast!
Honey – For a touch of sweetness, I added honey to the dough. This can be substituted with 2 Tablespoons of sugar.
Milk – Milk makes these English Muffins cloud-like as it brings moisture to the dough.
Water – Extra moisture needed for the dough.
Butter – Unsalted butter helps to soften the crumb of these Sourdough English Muffins.
Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Salt – Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s unrefined salt for some extra minerals!
Corn meal – To dust the tops and bottoms of the English Muffins.
Supplies
Bench Scraper
Frying Pan or 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Baking Schedules
**These baking schedules are based on a 70 degree F kitchen**
Baking Schedule 1:
Day 1:
12 pm: Mix dough
12:30 pm: Knead the dough
8:30 pm: Cover and place the dough in the fridge
Day 2:
6 am: Remove the dough from the fridge and shape
8 am: Fry in the pan
Baking Schedule 2:
Day 1:
8 pm: Mix the dough
8:30 pm: Knead the dough, cover, and let rise overnight
Day 2:
6 am: Remove the dough from the bowl and shape
8 am: Fry in the pan
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins
Make the Dough:
In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk, water, and cubed butter. Heat in the microwave until the butter is just melted and the liquid is warm. Cool slightly before adding to the dough. (You don’t want the liquid to be hot or boiling, otherwise this can kill the starter)
Add the active starter and honey to a large bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl and stir with a Danish Dough Whisk until combined.
Next, add the flour and salt to the liquid and stir until a rough dough forms. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl for the extra flour. You will need to use your hands to incorporate the last bit of the flour into the dough. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel, plastic wrap, or my favorite, a reusable shower cap. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, knead the dough for 20 seconds by pulling a piece of the edge of the dough, folding it towards the center, and pushing it down with the heel of your hand. Repeat for 20 seconds.
Bulk Rise:
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place to bulk ferment until double in size, about 8-10 hours at 70 degrees F. The bulk fermentation can be done overnight. Otherwise, once the first rise is complete, cover the dough and place it in the fridge to chill overnight.
The next morning, or when you are ready to shape, remove the dough from the fridge or from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with a piece of parchment paper and generously sprinkling it with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking.
Shaping:
Technique 1:
Pat the dough with a floured hand into a rectangle shape that is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3-inch English muffin ring, cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or a rimmed drinking glass, cut the dough into 10-12 rounds. Place them onto the prepared sheet pan.
Technique 2:
Cut the dough with a bench scraper or a sharp knife into equal pieces.
Pull the corners of one piece of dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, smooth dough ball. Place it onto a prepared sheet pan and gently flatten. Repeat until all the Sourdough English Muffins.
Second Rise:
Once all of the Sourdough English Muffins have been shaped, cover them with a slightly damp tea towel and let them rest until puffy. The second rise can take about 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Cook:
Warm a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet over low heat. I usually cook 6 at a time since they do not spread very much when they are cooking.
Cook on one side for 8-12 minutes, checking the bottoms halfway for even cooking. Flip to the other side and continue to cook for another 8-12 minutes.
A great way to know when the muffins are done cooking is they should feel lightweight and when pressed gently, the sides spring back. The internal temperature of a cooked English muffin should be 200 degrees F.
Place the Sourdough English Muffins on a wire rack to cool while you cook the second batch. Split in half when ready to serve and enjoy!
How to Serve
There’s nothing like a freshly cooked Sourdough English Muffin that has been lightly toasted and smeared with homemade butter and a drizzle of honey! Yum!
These heavenly clouds are perfect with all of your favorite toppings, such as butter, honey, jams, or jellies. They also create delicious breakfast sandwiches. Top them with a breakfast sausage, crispy bacon, fried egg, and melty cheese.
How to Store:
Sourdough English Muffins will stay fresh at room temperature for 5 days when stored in an airtight container.
For longer storage, place the muffins in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. You can freeze them whole or halved. If you freeze them as halves, I like to place a small piece of parchment paper in between so they don’t stick together.
Thaw at room temperature or pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds or until soft.
FAQs:
My Sourdough English Muffins are undercooked? What can I do?
It is important to cook your Sourdough English Muffins low and slow. Cooking them even at medium-low heat can cause the outsides of the muffins to brown too quickly while leaving the center undercooked. If this happens, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and finish baking the muffins until cooked through. The internal temperature of a fully-cooked Sourdough English Muffin should be 200 degrees F.
Happy baking!
More Recipes Like This:
Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners
Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
Homemade Sourdough English Muffins are incredibly soft and the perfect vessel to cradle all of your favorite toppings. Made with an active sourdough starter, these cloud-like muffins will be your newest breakfast delight.
Enter your email below, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get my newest sourdough recipes and best tips every week!
Ingredients
- 240 grams (1 cup) milk
- 120 grams (1/2 cup) water
- 42 grams (3 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 75 grams (1/3 heaping cup) active sourdough starter
- 24 grams (1 Tablespoon) honey
- 550 grams (4 cups + 3 Tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 10 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) salt
- cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
Find 2 Baking Schedules below!
Make the Dough:
1. In a liquid measuring cup, add milk, water and cubed butter. Heat in the microwave until the butter is just melted and the liquid is warm. Cool slightly before adding to the dough. (You don't want the liquid to be hotter than 110 degrees F, otherwise this can kill the starter)
240g (1 c) milk, 120g (1/2 c) water, 42g (3 T) unsalted butter
2. Add heaping active starter and honey to a large bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl and stir with a Danish Dough Whisk or your hand until combined.
75g (heaping 1/3 c) active starter, 24g (1 T) honey
3. Next, add the flour and salt to the liquid and stir until a rough dough forms. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl for the extra flour. You will need to use your hands to incorporate the last bit of the flour into the dough. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel, plastic wrap, or my favorite, a reusable shower cap. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
550g (4c + 3 T) all-purpose flour, 10g (1 1/2 tsp) salt
4. After the dough has rested, knead the dough for 20 seconds by pulling a piece of the edge of the dough, folding it towards the center, and pushing it down with the heel of your hand. Repeat for 20 seconds.
Bulk Rise:
5. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place to bulk ferment until doubled in size. In my 70 degree F kitchen this takes about 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time. If your kitchen is cooler, it will take more time. Once the first rise is complete, either cover the dough and place it in the fridge to chill overnight or continue on to shaping.
6. The next morning, or when you are ready to shape, remove the dough from the fridge or the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
7. In the meantime, prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with a piece of parchment paper and generously sprinkling it with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking.
Shaping:
Technique 1:
8. Pat the dough with a floured hand into a rectangle shape that is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3-inch English muffin ring, cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or a rimmed drinking glass, cut the dough into 10-12 rounds. Place them onto the prepared sheet pan.
Technique 2:
9. Cut the dough with a bench scraper or a sharp knife into 10-12 equal pieces.
10. Pull the corners of one piece of dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, smooth dough ball. Place it onto a prepared sheet pan and gently flatten. Repeat until all the Sourdough English Muffins are formed.
Second Rise:
11. Once all of the Sourdough English Muffins have been shaped, cover them with a slightly damp tea towel or this plastic cover that fits my baking sheet and let them rest until puffy. The second rise.
In my 70 degree F kitchen, this step took about 1-2 hours when the dough was room temperature. When the dough was stored in the fridge overnight, this took about 3-4 hours. Again, if your kitchen is warmer, it will be faster. If your kitchen is cooler, it will be slower.
Cook:
12. Warm a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet over low heat. I usually cook 6 at a time since they do not spread very much when they are cooking.
13. Cook on one side for 12-14 minutes, checking the bottoms halfway for even cooking. Flip to the other side and continue to cook for another 12-14 minutes or until the internal temeprature reaches 200 degrees F.
A great way to know when the muffins are done cooking is they should feel lightweight and when pressed gently, the sides spring back.
14. Place the Sourdough English Muffins on a wire rack to cool while you cook the second batch. Split in half when ready to serve and enjoy!
Notes
Baking Schedules
**These baking schedules are based on a 70 degree F kitchen**
Baking Schedule 1:
Day 1:
12 pm: Mix dough
12:30 pm: Knead the dough
8:30 pm: Cover and place the dough in the fridge
Day 2:
6 am: Remove the dough from the fridge and shape
8 am: Fry in the pan
Baking Schedule 2:
Day 1:
8 pm: Mix the dough
8:30 pm: Knead the dough, cover and let rise overnight
Day 2:
6 am: Remove the dough from the bowl and shape
8 am: Fry in the pan
How to Serve
There's nothing like a freshly cooked Sourdough English Muffin that has been lightly toasted and smeared with homemade butter and a drizzle of honey! Yum!
These heavenly clouds are perfect with all of your favorite toppings, such as butter, honey, jams, or jellies. They also create delicious breakfast sandwiches. Top them with a breakfast sausage, crispy bacon, fried egg, and melty cheese.
How to Store:
Sourdough English Muffins will stay fresh at room temperature for 5 days when stored in an airtight container.
For longer storage, place the muffins in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months! You can freeze them whole or halved. If you freeze them as halves, I like to place a small piece of parchment paper in between so they don't stick.
Thaw at room temperature or pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds or until soft.
FAQs:
My Sourdough English Muffins are undercooked? What can I do?
It is important to cook your Sourdough English Muffins low and slow. Cooking them even at medium-low heat can cause the outsides of the muffins to brown too quickly while leaving the center undercooked. If this happens, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and finish baking the muffins until cooked through. The internal temperature of a fully-cooked Sourdough English Muffin should be 200 degrees F.
For baking schedule #2 do you let the dough rise on the counter overnight or in the fridge?
I let the dough rise overnight on the counter!
Hi! Have you tried this with a plant milk?
Personally, I have not, but others have shared with me that they tested the recipe with plant milk and they came out beautifully!
i have made one batch, following your receipe, fluffy, it taste i bit more sour than i expect, is it because of the starter?
Hi Karen! Due to your sourdough starter and the fermentation process, there will be a tangy flavor to these Sourdough English Muffins.
I did technique 1 for shaping the muffins and was left with a lot of leftover dough. Can this be kneaded and made into more muffins?
Absolutely! Don’t want to waste any of it 🙂
These turned out SO great!
they took a lot longer to cook but I just trusted the “low and slow” and they turned out so beautifully golden brown and nice & fluffy.
I’m so glad you loved them! Thank you for sharing!
Hi, I have used strong bread flour by accident (not reading the instructions properly), will they taste alright or too bread like?
They should be just fine!
After our muffins are shaped and rising on the sheet pan for 1-2 hours, can they be placed in the fridge if I don’t have time to bake immediately? Ran out of time and need to bake later today but they’re on the tray and rising now. 😬
Yes! You can stall the baking by putting the shaped muffins in the fridge covered. Pull them out when you are ready to bake, allow them to puff up (it will take longer since the dough is cold), then cook like normal.
Another great recipe!! This was the first time making English Muffins, and your instructions are very easy to follow and understand (coming from a very new baker). I learned a hard lesson with too high of a temp in the pan, but quickly recovered. The family loves them with my fresh raspberry preserves. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you find the recipes to be easy to follow and delicious. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Does the starter have to be at peak? Or can I use discard?
For a proper rise, you want to use active sourdough starter!
I’ve made these twice and each time absolutely Wonderful! Today however our doodle, Dixie, decided to help herself to three while they were cooking! She thought they were wonderful too! Lol
I don’t blame her, they are so tasty! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Does it matter if the AP flour is bleached or unbleached?
I just made these and they are delicious! I also used almond milk instead of regular milk. These will be a weekly staple in my home, thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
It’s an honor to be a part of your kitchen! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi there! I made these for the 1st time and the flavor came put perfectly but they were really dense….not fluffy at all. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Krystle! A dense English muffin is typically due to improper proofing. You want the dough to at least double in size during the bulk fermentation and noticeably puff up after the second proof. This will help them not to be dense!
The same thing happened to me. But I think I might have killed my starter with the milk mixture being too hot (I didn’t think it was that hot but my dough never did double even after almost 18hours in the fridge)
can i use bread flour instead?
Yes you can!
Delicious! We enjoyed them toasted with butter and honey
Yum! Thank you for sharing!
These were soooooo good. The recipe was perfect and easy to follow. I just so happened to feed my starter not knowing what I wanted to do and then Instagram led me here and soooo glad it did. I’ll be remaking for sure!
Yay! We love this recipe! So glad you loved them.
I just tried this recipe with almond milk (would have preferred soy for the protein/fat content but it’s what I had on hand) and maple syrup because I’m plant-based… WOW! Best ever English muffins. I tried a different sourdough English muffin recipe a while back and they didn’t come out so great… I’m glad I gave these another shot because they are amazing!!! So much better than the store!
Do you use any butter or oil in the cast iron when cooking them? Or should the cornmeal be sufficient for making them not stick?
Butter or oil are not necessary, the the cornmeal!
Can I bake them instead.
Sure! I would bake them at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until the center reaches 200 degrees F and is no longer doughy.
the print button for the recipes is not working.
Hi Brenda! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! The new website just launched today, so there are a few minor things that they are still tweaking, like the print button. We will hopefully get this fixed shortly!
None of the buttons on your pages work. Please fix.
Hi Brenda! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! The new website just launched today, so there are a few minor things that they are still tweaking, like the print button. We will hopefully get this fixed shortly! Can you share what other buttons are not working for you?
I was lazy and used a stand mixer then bulk fermented. It worked great.
Thank you so much for sharing! Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe.
What flour can i use for dusting if i am out of semolina flour or cornmeal ?
Great question! If you’re out of semolina or cornmeal, you can use all-purpose flour for dusting — it works just fine to prevent sticking. Rice flour is another great option if you have it, since it doesn’t absorb moisture as easily and stays nice and dry on the surface. Hope you love the English muffins!