With a crunchy exterior and soft interior, these tangy, easy to make homemade English muffins made with sourdough starter discard will bring a smile to your face and your breakfast table!
1cup(227grams)sourdough starter discard, unfed, at room temperature, see Recipe Notes
2cups(454grams)milk, or an unflavored milk substitute, warmed between 100°F to 110°F
¼cup(57grams)unsalted butter, at room temperature
2tablespoons(30grams)granulated sugar
1tablespoon(1tablespoon)instant yeast, or Active Dry yeast, see Recipe Notes
1tablespoon(10grams)kosher salt
cornmeal or semolina, for sprinkling
Instructions
Make the dough: Combine all the dough ingredients (except for the cornmeal or semolina) in a stand mixer bowl. Using the dough hook, knead to form a smooth dough. You can also knead the dough in a bread machine or by hand. The dough should be soft and elastic, but not sticky. If necessary, add more flour in 1 tablespoon increments until you get the desired consistency (this is especially necessary if you’re baking on a humid day).
If you're baking the same day, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise for about 1½ hours, or until it's noticeably puffy.If you prefer, you can also retard the dough by placing the covered bowl in the refrigerator after it has sat at room temperature for about 30 minutes to let the yeast get started. Chill for 8 hours, or up to 2 days. This allows the sourdough to ferment slowly and develop a more pronounced sour flavor.
If you’ve retarded the dough in the refrigerator, allow the dough to rest for about an hour on the counter to warm to room temperature. Gently deflate the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, cover it, and let it sit for a few minutes to relax the gluten.
Shaping Option 1: Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out to ½-inch thick, and cut in rounds using a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll and cut any remaining scraps. Repeat with the remaining half of dough.
Shaping Option 2: Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces (I weigh the dough using a kitchen scale and divided by 24, then cut pieces to that weight). Shape each piece into a round ball, then flatten each ball into a 3-inch round. For a somewhat more even rise as the muffins cook, flatten each ball slightly larger than 3 inches, and trim edges with a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or trim all around the edge with a pair of scissors). Muffins with cut (rather than flattened) sides will rise more evenly, and you can use the trimmings to get extra portions. Win!
Continuing: Place the rounds, evenly spaced, onto half sheet baking pan sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina, 12 per sheet. Sprinkle them with additional cornmeal or semolina, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise on the counter until light and puffy, about 45 to 60 minutes. If the dough has been refrigerated overnight and you didn’t let it come to room temperature first, the rise time will be about 2 hours.
Cook the muffins: Carefully transfer the rounds, as many that will fit without crowding, to a large electric griddle preheated to 350 °F (or lower - see the Recipe Notes) or an ungreased griddle or frying pan that has been preheated over medium-low heat.
Spray the bottom of a quarter sheet baking pan (or similarly flat but not overly heavy object) with baking spray, then set aside, sprayed side up. The baking pan helps keep muffins flat across the top (rather than domed) while they're cooking.
Cook the muffins for about 5 minutes on one side, then lay the quarter sheet baking pan on the puffed up muffins, sprayed side down. Continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, then remove the baking pan. Turn the muffins over and cook them, without the baking pan on top, for 10 to 12 minutes or until they're golden brown and the centers read 190 °F on a digital thermometer. The edges may feel a bit soft, but that's fine.
Remove the muffins from the griddle, and cool on a wire rack. English muffins can be cut in half with a bread knife or fork-split (to get a rougher surface), then toasted. Serve with butter and/or jam and enjoy!
Storage instructions: Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 or 5 days, or freeze in an airtight bag for a month.
This recipe is easily halved using 2 teaspoons yeast and ½ cup unfed sourdough starter.
Recipe Notes
Using fed sourdough starter can give you a better rise (depending on how vigorous your starter is), but using unfed sourdough starter discard works just fine. If you do use fed starter (and it's active and bubbly), you can omit the yeast, but the rising times can be longer.If you use Active Dry yeast, then you might want to sprinkle it onto the warmed water with a teaspoon of sugar and allow it to sit for a few minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Letting it foam "proves" the yeast is active and ready to go to work.My first batch of sourdough discard English muffins burned on one side because I had heated the griddle too hot (you don't want it any hotter than 350˚F). An infrared temperature gun helps to make sure the griddle isn't too hot. If your English muffins are still cooking too fast at 350˚F, reduce the temperature by 25˚F. You may need to adjust as needed to find your best cooking temperature.If you're having trouble getting the muffins to cook all the way through on the stove top, cook until golden brown on both sides, then transfer to a preheated 350°F oven and bake until the muffins' interior show no sign of wet dough, about 10 minutes or so.