Easy Sourdough English Muffins

Sourdough English Muffins is an easy recipe that makes delicious, light, and rich English muffins. Enjoy them with eggs, ham, cheese, and bacon for a complete breakfast!

Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? Learn how to make your own sourdough culture! And if you're looking for easy sourdough recipes, try my same day sourdough sandwich bread — it’s ready in just one day!

Ingredients

• Active Sourdough Starter: You’ll need an active starter for this recipe. I’ve tried using sourdough discard, but the result was dense, heavy muffins that didn’t hit the spot. I use a 100% hydration starter for this.
• Sugar: Use white or brown sugar.
• Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter—just melt it first. For a vegan option, substitute with a plant-based option. Vegetable and coconut oil work for this recipe.
• Milk: I use whole milk, but you can substitute with 2%, skim, or any plant-based milk for a vegan version.
• All-Purpose Flour: I usually use white all-purpose flour, but if you want to add more fiber, swap 1 cup of white flour for 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Don’t use only whole wheat, as it’ll make the english muffins too dense.
• Salt: Use fine sea salt.
• Cornmeal (optional): Dusting with cornmeal gives the muffins a crunchier texture on the top and bottom.

How to Make Them

This recipe is super easy to follow. All you really need is a round cutter. Both cast iron skillet or a simple frying pan work when cooking them. No round cutter? Use a glass or anything round, or simply cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife.

Make sure your sourdough starter is active. Feed it about 6 to 8 hours before making the dough.

Step 01. The night before, mix the dough using your hands or a stand mixer. You don’t need to knead—just mix until all the ingredients are incorporated, and there are no dry spots. Cover and let it bulk ferment overnight.

Step 02. For bulk fermentation, I let the dough rest overnight at room temperature during the winter. If it’s warm, or in spring/summer, I recommend refrigerating it for an overnight cold fermentation. Let the dough rise for 2-3 hours before covering and placing it in the fridge.

The Next Day: Check the dough’s windowpane and rise. If the dough has a good windowpane and nearly doubled in size, it’s time to shape your muffins!

Step 03. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin, wine bottle, or your hands. Lightly flour your surface, and use your fingers to press the dough out. You can also dust with cornmeal for a crispier exterior. Use a round cutter or glass to cut out the muffins. If you don’t mind the shape, you can cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife.

Step 04. For the second rise, place the shaped muffins on a floured (using cornmeal or all-purpose flour) baking sheet. Let them rise for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Step 05. When ready, they’ll be taller. Dough won’t double in size, so don’t worry about that. The muffins should feel lighter when you pick them up.

Step 06. Preheat your skillet or frying pan before cooking. This step is crucial! Cook over medium-low or low heat. Each side needs about 8 minutes to ensure they’re cooked through.

Step 07. Now comes the tough part—waiting for them to cool before slicing and toasting! You can eat English muffins without toasting, but toasting adds an extra crunch and enhances the flavor.

Tips for Success

• Use room-temperature milk and butter to avoid making your starter lazy. Cold ingredients will slow down fermentation.
• A 100% hydration starter (equal parts water and flour) works best when making this recipe.
• Always make sure your starter is active before making the muffins.
• Preheat your skillet or frying pan before starting and cook over low heat, or the muffins will burn on the outside and be undercooked inside.
• If you’re unsure about the doneness, preheat your oven to 350°F. After cooking the muffins for 8 minutes on each side, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Storing and Freezing

Sourdough English muffins will stay fresh for 4 to 5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Avoid storing them in the fridge. If you’re not eating them right away, it’s better to freeze than refrigerate. Refrigerating will compromise their flavor and freshness, causing them to dry out quickly.

To freeze, let the muffins cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat frozen muffins, microwave them for 40 seconds, then split and toast.

Questions You Might Have

Can I make this recipe using whole wheat flour?
Yes! Substitute 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. I don’t recommend replacing all the flour with whole wheat, as it will make the muffins too dense.

How do I get large nooks and crannies in my muffins?
For the best nooks and crannies, let the muffins cool completely, then use a fork to split them. Poke the fork in a circle around the sides to get that perfect texture.

Can I use sourdough discard?
I don’t recommend using discard for this recipe. The texture, taste, and rise are much better with an active starter.

Why didn’t my muffins rise?
If your dough didn’t rise after 12 hours, your starter likely wasn’t active enough. Cold ingredients can also slow down or even stop fermentation. Remember to give the dough a second rise after shaping for a softer interior and better rise during cooking.

Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes! Substitute the butter with vegan butter, vegetable oil, or coconut oil, and replace cow's milk with any plant-based milk.

Why are my muffins burning on the bottom?
First, check the temperature. Is it on low? Try using a smaller burner. Also, consider the pan—if it’s too thin, it could be causing the muffins to burn. A heavy-bottomed pan might help.

What to Serve With

Sourdough English muffins are perfect for breakfast! Split them with a fork for extra nooks and crannies, then toast and spread with butter for a simple, delicious meal.

They’re also great for Eggs Benedict! Just toast and butter them while they’re hot. For a sweet treat, try spreading cream cheese and a homemade berry jam. It’s breakfast perfection.

Here are some of my favorite spreads for english muffins:

Have you tried this Sourdough English Muffins? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!

More Bread Recipes for Breakfast

Whole Wheat Breakfast Rolls
Basic Sourdough Bread
Easy French Baguette
Pumpkin Brioche
Lazy Bread

📖 Recipe

Easy Sourdough English Muffins

Tatiana Kamakura

Sourdough English Muffins is an easy recipe that makes delicious, light, and rich English muffins. Enjoy them with eggs, ham, cheese, and bacon for a complete breakfast!

5 from 32 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Additional Time 14 hours hrs

Total Time 14 hours hrs 21 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 12 English Muffins

Calories 144 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ⅓ cup active sourdough starter 100% hydration
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter melted
• ▢ 1 cup milk room temperature
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Ensure your starter is active by checking if it has doubled in size and is bubbly.
• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.
• Mix and knead lightly for about 2 minutes until the dough is formed, with all ingredients well combined and no dry spots visible. You can use a stand mixer or your hands.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours. After that, refrigerate it for 10 to 14 hours. The dough should almost double in size and pass the windowpane test.
• Lightly flour the surface where you'll be working on your dough. Gently stretch the dough, pressing with your fingers until it's about 0.5 to 1 inch thick. Don’t make it thicker than 1 inch, or the muffins might not cook properly in the middle.
• Use a round cutter or glass to cut out the muffins, and place them on a floured and lined baking sheet for the second rise. Re-roll and cut the remaining scraps until all the dough is used. If you don't mind the shape and want to save time, you can cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife.
• Cover the shaped muffins with a damp towel or plastic wrap/beeswax wrap, and let them rise until light and puffy, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Preheat a skillet or frying pan. Carefully transfer each muffin to the heated pan and cook them on low heat for 8 minutes on each side.
• Remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack. Repeat until all the muffins are cooked.
• Once cooled, store the English muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• For the best results, split them with a fork and toast before serving.

Video

Notes

Tips:

• Avoid using cold ingredients in the dough. Always work with room temperature ingredients.
• Cook your sourdough English muffins over low heat to prevent the bottoms from burning.
• If you're worried that 8 minutes per side isn’t enough or unsure about the temperature, preheat your oven to 350°F before starting. After cooking for 8 minutes on each side, transfer the muffins to a lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

• For a vegan recipe, use vegan butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil, and swap the milk for any plant-based option.
• To use whole wheat flour, substitute 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1english muffinCalories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 210mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 125IUCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!