Sourdough English Muffins

Ingredients

Start

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 cup liquid such as water, milk, fermented dairy, or coconut milk*
  • 2 cups flour of choice

Finish

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey or other sweetener, optional
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • add-ins seeds, dried fruit, chopped nuts, etc.

Instructions

Start

  1. Combine sourdough starter and liquid of choice into medium sized bowl.
  2. Stir to combine.
  3. If your starter is very stiff, feel free to add an extra 1/4 cup or so of liquid.
  4. Once combined, add flour to mixture. Stir well to combine.
  5. Add ground flaxseed, poppyseeds or caraway seeds at this point so they can sour along with the rest of the dough.
  6. Cover and let dough sit 8 to 24 hours.

Finish

  1. Sprinkle salt and baking soda on top of soured dough.
  2. Drizzle in honey, if using.
  3. Then, use a wooden spoon to push/cut/stir in the newly-added ingredients. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
  4. Dust work surface with flour, or pour about a tablespoon of olive oil onto the counter, spread it around, and rub your hands together.
  5. Dump dough onto the flour or oiled spot, and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to thoroughly incorporate the salt, baking soda and honey.
  6. Then separate dough into 8 equal portions with a pizza cutter.
  7. Dust hands with flour. Pick up each portion and gently shape it into a muffin. I aim for about 1 finger thick and 2 1/2 inches wide.
  8. Place muffins on a lightly floured, cornmeal-ed, or greased sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
  9. Cover with a dish towel and let rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  10. About 5 minutes prior to baking muffins, preheat griddle or skillet to medium heat.
  11. Carefully transfer muffins to griddle or skillet and cook approximately 5 minutes per side.
  12. If the outside edge of your muffin isn’t as done as you’d like after the 5 minutes for each side, pop into a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
  13. When cooked through, transfer to a cooling rack.
  14. Finally, enjoy topped with butter or preserves.

Recipe Notes

  • Although the English muffins will turn out if you use water instead of full fat or fermented dairy, you will need to add more flour initially for easier kneading. The finished muffins also won’t be as soft and tender.  
  • Use any flour you like.
  • If using ground flax seed or poppy or caraway seeds as add-ins, mix in during souring stage so they can sour along with the rest of the dough.
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