Sourdough English muffins are another simple, beginner sourdough recipe. If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast idea, try this easy recipe!
There’s nothing better than fresh English muffins for breakfast. Adding sourdough to the recipe makes it that much more delicious.
This recipe makes a perfect quick bread that can be eaten with butter jam for breakfast, and you can also use them for sandwiches.
They’re very versatile, and a favorite sourdough recipe because of how simple they are to make.
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How to Make Sourdough English Muffins
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that you get it started the night before. That makes it so much faster the next morning!
To make these overnight sourdough English muffins, you’ll need the following supplies:
Supplies Needed for This Recipe
- Medium size mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cast iron skillet or griddle (I use cast iron, but use whatever you prefer)
- Serrated bread knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup water, milk, or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 2 cups whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup additional flour (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup additional flour (opt)
Once you have your supplies and ingredients, now it’s time to mix up the muffins!
The Night Before
To make sourdough English muffins, combine the first four ingredients in a bowl.
Mix together the starter, water, honey, and whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Stir well. If the dough seems too wet, add a little more flour (up to 1/4 cup).
You don’t want to add too much flour. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not too sticky and wet.
It takes a bit of practice to know what the consistency of the dough should look like. But don’t worry! This is a very forgiving recipe, and I’ve never had a batch fail yet.
It’s usually better to err on the side of the dough being a bit more wet than to have it too dry (which tends to make the muffins more dense).
Cover the bowl and set aside until the next morning (or for 8-12 hours).
The Next Morning
The next morning, heat your cast iron skillet or griddle to low heat (I put mine in between 2 and 3).
You may want to add a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil to the skillet, but if your skillet is non-stick or well-seasoned (cast iron), you may not need to grease it. I usually add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan.
Then add the remaining ingredients (salt and baking soda) to the other ingredients in the bowl and mix.
You can do this by hand, but I usually put mine in a stand mixer with the dough hook, and add the salt and baking soda, and let it knead the dough for a couple of minutes. If the dough is still wet, I add up to 1/4 cup of flour to the mixing bowl and knead it in.
How to Cook Sourdough English Muffins
If your dough is wet, you can just drop the dough from a 1/4 cup measuring cup (or spoon) onto the skillet. If it’s a bit more dry, you can use your hands to form a ball shape and then set the balls onto the skillet (this is how I usually do it).
I grease my hands with a little bit of coconut oil, remove about 1/4 cup of dough, and form it into a loose ball shape before placing it into the skillet.
Cook the English muffins on low to medium heat for a few minutes on each side. I usually cook the first side for about 3-5 minutes and then check to see if that side has browned sufficiently.
Then flip to cook the other side.
If it seems like they are browning too quickly and the center isn’t getting done, turn the heat down to give the centers time to cook.
If the insides still don’t seem sufficiently cooked (but the outside is well-browned), you can also transfer them to a baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes to finish the cooking process.
This recipe makes from 8-12 muffins, depending on how big you make them. With the size I make, I often get around 10, so I double it if I want a bigger batch.
Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least five minutes before slicing in half with a serrated knife.
Be sure the muffins are completely cool before storing in a sealed container.
These sourdough English muffins are so delicious while they’re still warm, slathered with butter and jam!
More Sourdough Posts
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Sourdough Pancakes Easy Recipe
- Sourdough Tortillas
- Easy Sourdough Crackers
- Sourdough Biscuits
Do I Have to Use Whole Wheat Flour?
This recipe will work with other flour types. I’ve used whole wheat and spelt flour (and occasionally a combination), and the muffins always turn out great.
You could also try unbleached all purpose flour, or any other type of flour. When using other flours, you may need to adjust the amount of flour added in the first step.
Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
Sourdough English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup water or milk
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 cups whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup additional flour (opt)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup flour (opt)
Instructions
- The night before, add sourdough starter, water, honey, and whole wheat flour to a medium mixing bowl. Stir well. If the dough seems too wet, you can add more flour (up to 1/4 cup). Stir well to combine. You don't want the dough too dry though, so be careful not to add too much additional flour.
- Cover loosely with a tea towel or plate and let it sit overnight (8-12 hours).
- The next morning (or whenever you're ready to make your muffins), add the salt and baking soda to the dough and mix well. Mix/knead until well combined. You can do this by hand, but I usually put mine in a stand mixer with the dough hook, and add the salt and baking soda, and let it knead the dough for a couple of minutes. If the dough is still wet, I add up to 1/4 cup of flour to the mixing bowl and knead it in.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle on low to medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil to grease the pan, if desired.
- Drop the muffin dough from a spoon (or 1/4 cup measuring cup) onto the skillet, or use your hands to shape the dough. I grease my hands with a little bit of coconut oil, remove about 1/4 cup of dough, and form it into a loose ball shape before placing it into the skillet.
- Cook the muffins for about 3-5 minutes, and check to see if the first side is browned. If it is, flip the muffins over and then cook the other side until browned.
- If it seems like they are browning too quickly and the center isn't getting done, turn the heat down and cook more slowly. You can also transfer them to a baking sheet, and bake them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to finish the cooking process.
- Transfer muffins to a cooling rack for at least five minutes, and then slice with a serrated knife. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
ooooo, I love sourdough! and it’s nice having the milk and honey options. Can’t wait to make these. Thanks for sharing with us on the Homestead Blog Hop!