Sourdough English Muffins

Remember when I said something about how I wanted the smell of homebaked bread to transform my dreary February rain into something cozy and lovely? Well, I baked (sort of) and the rain? It stopped.
It was a February miracle!
You voted for what yummy bread product I should try and it was a three-way tie between Whole-Wheat Bagels, Sourdough English Muffins and Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.
Since I have made both rosemary bread and bagels before, since “sourdough” is one of Newt’s spelling words this week, and since she and I both like British classic novels and television shows, the Sourdough English Muffins win.
And since they were delicious and easy to make, I win too!

My inspiration recipe is from Cake Walk, who in turn was inspired by GNOWFGLINS. (Incidentally, can anyone tell me how that is pronounced? I love their work with natural foods, but I can’t tell anyone because I don’t know how. Now-fig-lins? Nofe-flins? G’nowf-glines? Please help me say the word so I can spread the word.)
I didn’t change the recipe itself, but I did tweak the technique just a bit to make things go a little smoother.

Sourdough English Muffins
(Printable version at bottom of page.)

1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 cup liquid: water, whey, milk, yogurt, coconut milk – I made a batch on Saturday with water and another on Sunday (they are that good) with half water and half raw cream. Both were tasty.
2 cups flour, any kind or combination – I used 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat and 1/2 cup regular white
1 Tbs honey
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

12-24 hours before you plan to make your muffins, mix starter, liquid and flour. I prepare mine the night before. Cover with a clean towel and let it rest, undisturbed at room temperature.
In the morning, or whenever you are ready, sprinkle honey, salt and soda over batter. Wet your hands and knead dough in the bowl to combine ingredients well. If it starts to stick, wet your hands again.
Cover with your towel again and allow to rest for one hour. This will allow all those lovely bubbles to form.
Here is what mine looked like when I was ready to cook.

Yup, cook. These are not really baked, they are cooked on a griddle, like pancakes.
If you have an electric griddle, set it to about 300°. If you are using a stove top griddle or cast iron pan, you may need to play around to see what the best temperature is. Start with a medium/medium-low heat. If they are browning too fast, turn it down and vise-versa.
While your griddle is heating, fill a bowl with warm water and place it close by. Then grease your fancy English muffin rings with butter.
See mine:

Fancy, right? They are just quart sized canning rings.
Place rings, right-side up, on your griddle and put a little pat of butter inside each one to melt.
Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup and dip it in your warm water. This will keep your dough from sticking to it. Scoop up a scant 1/4 cup and place inside a ring. Don’t overfill or it will puff up over the top of your ring and stick.
Wet your fingers and smooth/lightly pat down the dough a bit. Be gentle or you’ll squish out all the bubbles.

Cook for about five minutes. Bottom will be a nice golden brown.
Slide your spatula under muffin, lift it up a little, and using wet fingers, push it out of your ring. Carefully remove hot rings from griddle.
Flip muffins and cook for another five minutes or so.

You can finish the muffins for another 10 minutes or so in a 350° oven, but I didn’t bother since we planned to toast them all anyway.
The muffins have a natural ridge, making them easy to split (use a fork, not a knife). Toast and serve with butter and jam or honey.

This recipe makes 10-12 and is easily doubled. I hear they will last for a week or so, but since we gobbled them up so fast, I can’t attest to it. I also hear they freeze well.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Sourdough English Muffins
Author: 
Serves: 10-12
 
If you can make pancakes, you can make these, but don't tell anyone. Let them think you have extra special kitchen-ninja skills.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup sourdough starter
  • 1 cup liquid: water, whey, milk, yogurt, coconut milk
  • 2 cups flour, any kind or combination
  • 1 Tbs honey
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
  1. -24 hours before you plan to make your muffins, mix starter, liquid and flour. Cover with a clean towel and let it rest, undisturbed at room temperature.
  2. In the morning, or whenever you are ready, sprinkle honey, salt and soda over batter. Wet your hands and knead dough in the bowl to combine ingredients well. If it starts to stick, wet your hands again.
  3. Cover dough with your towel again and allow to rest for one hour. This will allow all those lovely bubbles to form.
  4. If you have an electric griddle, set it to about 300°. If you are using a stove top griddle or cast iron pan, you may need to play around to see what the best temperature is. Start with a medium/medium-low heat. If they are browning too fast, turn it down and vise-versa.
  5. While your griddle is heating, fill a bowl with warm water and place it close by. Then grease some quart sized canning rings with butter.
  6. Place rings, right-side up, on your griddle and put a little pat of butter inside each one to melt.
  7. Take a ¼ cup measuring cup and dip it in your warm water. This will keep your dough from sticking to it. Scoop up a scant ¼ cup and place inside a ring. Don't overfill or it will puff up over the top of your ring and stick.
  8. Wet your fingers and smooth/lightly pat down the dough a bit. Be gentle or you'll squish out all the bubbles.
  9. Cook for about five minutes. Bottom will be a nice golden brown.
  10. Slide your spatula under muffin, lift it up a little, and using wet fingers, push it out of your ring. Carefully remove hot rings from griddle.
  11. Flip and cook for another five minutes or so.
  12. You can finish the muffins for another 10 minutes or so in a 350° oven, but I didn't bother since we planned to toast them all anyway.
  13. Toast and serve with butter and jam or honey.

 

13 Comments

  1. Canning jar rings, who’d have thunk it! 🙂
    Your English muffins look just perfectly yummy!!

    Reply
  2. Oh I am So excited to try these. My dad has been begging my mom for Years to make him home made english muffins. I might just have to mail him some 🙂

    Reply
    • They are so easy to make and really, really good. I may never buy them again. 🙂
      If you try them, please let me know how you like them!

      Reply
  3. Absolutely delicious and made me wonder why I never made it before. However with this recipe.. I may have muffin on the mind too! Congrats on turning one!

    Reply
  4. Hi, I found this recipe when Googling for some options. I referenced this and some of the sites you referenced at the start to make my first variation. I love the flexibility! Thanks for passing along the recipe.

    I used 3/4 white, 1/4 whole wheat with a milk + water mix. The dough was quite thick (altitude difference perhaps) but it worked well to shape them as I didn’t have moulds (or enough jar lids.)

    I look forward to trying again and working to get a better (bubblier/lighter) inner consistency! Picture @ https://twitter.com/SkepticSean/status/328567637313482752

    Reply
    • Those look great! Well done. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  5. Warm Hello Hedi 🙂

    lol what u said about “I dont need to hear about it”
    ha ha if u have a dog with that name …hee hee

    i am using oatmeal flour
    will i need to add anything extra do u think?
    to make it puff up

    also where does the corn come in
    u know how english muffins have outter layer of like cornmeal or its like sometimes corse meal
    am i right?

    do i put the cornmeal in the ring with the pat of butter
    before u add the 1/4 cup batter?

    Reply
    • Thanks!
      I have never tried oatmeal flour so I’m not certain. I would suggest experimenting to see how it goes.
      The cornmeal is to keep it from sticking to the pan. I haven’t needed to use it, but you could try putting some down with the butter.

      Reply
  6. I’m a bit confused about your flour measurement (recipe calls for 2 cups, but you say you added 1/2 c white and 1/2 c whole wheat). I followed your recipe using two cups and came out with a dough rather than a thick batter – is this correct?

    Reply
    • I use 1-1/2 cups of white whole wheat and 1/2 cup of regular white. It will be a very stiff batter/sticky dough. It sounds like you are on the right track. I hope they turn out well!

      Reply
      • So you use a total of ONE cup of flour rather than two as stated in the recipe? Sorry, I’m just trying to trouble shoot.

        Reply
        • No problem! Total of two cups. You can use any combination of types you like, but I like 1-1/2 (1 + 1/2) cups of white whole wheat and an additional 1/2 cup of white.

          Reply
  7. This recipe is awesome, and the English muffins that results are fantastic.

    Reply

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