Need a tasty way to use up your sourdough starter? What better to make than soft sourdough English muffins. So simple & perfect for breakfast sandwiches.
These tasty sourdough English muffins are fluffy, slightly chewy, and they store so well. Made with sourdough starter, each nook and cranny touts a lovely tang. For this recipe, you don’t even need to bust out your stand mixer and dough hook – the simple dough can be made in a standard mixing bowl! No sourdough? No problem- try this yeast based english muffin recipe instead.
What if you don’t have a sourdough starter? That’s perfectly fine! You can order a live starter on Amazon.
Preparing this Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
You don’t have to turn the oven on at all to make these sourdough muffins. All you have to do is prepare the dough, have some patience to let it rest, and cook the muffins on the stove top!
- Combine the Wet Ingredients: Whisk the milk, water, & butter together in a bowl, followed by the sourdough discard and sugar.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Add in the flour and salt and stir to combine. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Allow the Dough to Rest: Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a tea towel in the bowl, and let it rest for 8 hours or more.
- Chill the Dough: Chill the dough in the fridge overnight.
- Shape the Dough: Let the chilled dough rest at room temperature for a bit and then use a rolling pin to stretch it into a rectangular shape on a well-floured surface.
- Cut the Muffins: Cut out 3-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or rim of a large glass from the dough and sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Allow them to rest for an hour.
- Cook the Muffins: Preheat a nonstick pan or cast iron on medium-low heat. Cook them for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Allow the muffins to rest on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Hot Tip: If you want to bake your English muffins instead of pan-frying them, snag some of these nifty English muffin rings and pop them on a cookie sheet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper instead.
3 Tips for the Best Homemade Sourdough English Muffins
If it’s your very first time making homemade sourdough English muffins, these pointers will help you nail the process down.
- Use an active starter. For these English muffins, you need to make sure that your starter is active. This means that you need to feed the starter about 10 hours before using it. Follow this helpful guide on how to feed and maintain your starter.
- Prep them in the morning. The best time to make the muffins is in the morning. This gives you time to let them rise and place them in the fridge overnight so you can enjoy them the next day.
- Cook the muffins low and slow. Cook the muffins on low heat in a cast-iron skillet so they don’t burn. There’s no need to rush the process – you want them perfectly golden brown!
Hot Tip: If you want to make whole wheat sourdough English muffins instead, we suggest using half white flour and half whole wheat flour to prevent them from being too dense.
Different Breakfast Sandwich Ideas
While sourdough English muffins are wonderful with just butter, jam, or honey, you can use them to make some seriously tasty breakfast sandwiches. Here are a couple of our favorite flavor combinations.
- Bacon, Egg, & Cheese: Butter the muffin and sandwich with air fryer bacon or baked bacon, a fried egg, and a thick slice of cheddar cheese.
- Smoked Salmon: Spread some softened cream cheese on both sides of the muffin and add a thin layer of cold-smoked salmon. Pile on sliced tomato and red onions or pickled onions, capers, and fresh dill.
- Vegetarian-Style: Make some garlic avocado spread and spread it on one side of the muffin. Top with sliced soft-boiled eggs, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Storage Best Practices
To keep your muffins fresh for up to a week, store them in an airtight container on the counter. This will prevent them from drying out and turning stale. If you want them to last even longer, pop the into the fridge. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag.
FAQ
Are English muffins typically made with sourdough starter?
No, English muffins are typically not made with sourdough starter. That said, adding in the starter gives the muffins such a nice tang and depth of flavor.
Are sourdough English muffins better for you than bread?
While sourdough English muffins typically have fewer calories than bread, they are still full of carbs. That said, they are good for you in moderation and if you make them homemade you nix all the extra preservatives.
What kind of flour should you use for sourdough English muffins?
You should use regular all-purpose flour for sourdough English muffins. There’s no need to use bread flour, as it’s a bit too fine and won’t result in the same texture. When picking up your flour, opt for a high-protein brand like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur.
Are sourdough English muffins gluten-free?
No, sourdough English muffins are not gluten-free. They are made with all-purpose flour which contains wheat. You can make them with gluten-free flour, but the texture will be much denser.
Can sourdough English muffins be frozen?
Yes, sourdough English muffins are perfect for freezing. To do so, allow them to cool down completely first and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Pop the muffins into a freezer-safe bag and keep them on hand for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply place them on the counter for a couple of hours or pop them straight into the toaster.
More Tasty Sourdough Recipes to Try
- Overnight Sourdough Bagels – Fluffy, boiled starter bagels
- (Almost) Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread – White & wheat flour sourdough
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls – So fluffy with the classic cream cheese icing.
- Crazy Easy Sourdough Pancakes – Fluffy starter pancakes
- Sourdough Bread Recipe – Ultimate guide to sourdough bread
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- 1/2 cup water lukewarm2
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1/3 cup sourdough starter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add the milk, water, & butter to a bowl. Add in the sourdough starter and sugar and whisk to combine
- Add in the flour and salt and stir to combine. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the dough into the center. Cover the dough again and let it rest for at least 8 hours. Once it fully rises, leave it in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Flour your work surface and hands and stretch the dough into a rectangular shape. Cut out 3-inch rounds. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Place them on a tray to rest for an hour.
- Preheat a nonstick pan on medium-low heat. Cook them for about 8-10 minutes on each side.
- Let them rest on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Can you skip using the cornmeal or replace it with something?
Yes, you can skip it or use semolina instead.
You mention baking them instead of pan frying. What temp and how long for?
Hi Karen, thank you for reaching out! You would preheat a nonstick pan on medium-low heat. Cook them for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Hope this helps!
What is the temperature if you want to bake then? Can they be air fried?
Hey, I would bake them at 350°F. I have not tried them in an air fryer. If you do, please report back Joanne!
Can use a non-dairy milk?
Hey there, Char. I have not used a non-dairy milk in this recipe. If you do end up trying it, I would love to know the end result.
Great recipe - so delicious. I love the idea of having homemade muffin on hand.
Hi Melissa, I agree, so much better than store bought!
I always thought these were difficult to make, but you make it look so easy!
Hi Allyson, So glad to hear you love them! They are not difficult to make at all! I hope you give them a try!
I made these english muffins the other day and had them for breakfast with smoked salmon and cream cheese! It tasted amazing! The dough turned out perfectly. It was so easy too, I can't wait to make them again!
Hi Olivia, Thank you so much for your feedback! I am so glad to hear the recipe was a success! The smoked salmon and cream cheese combo sounds absolutely delicious!