Homemade English Muffins

freshly toasted and buttered English muffin on paper napkin with knife

5 from 20 votes

These sensational homemade sourdough English muffins are crafted with an abundance of nooks and crannies, making store-bought versions pale in comparison. Preservative-free with an irresistible taste, you'll find yourself head over heels, never wanting to go back to boring and dry store bought versions.

Prep Time8

Cook Time12

Total Time8 12

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: small or 9 large English muffins

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Marie

Ingredients

The Night Before (8 hours before)

1 cup active sourdough starter 100% hydration*
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups milk
4 cups all purpose flour, unbleached

Next Morning

1 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached up to 2 cups

To Cook the English Muffins

Cornmeal for dusting griddle or semolina or farina

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the sourdough starter, milk, honey, and flour.
Cover the bowl and place on counter, at room temperature, for several hours or overnight (depending on how active starter is, estimated 8 to 10 hours).
The next morning, or after 8 hours, add the remaining ingredients by sprinkling on the baking soda and salt, and then 1 cup of the flour.
Knead the dough until smooth (about 5 minutes using a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand) and add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Rest the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes and then roll it out to about 1/2 thickness.
Using a 3 to 4 inch circle cutter or round glass, cut circles from the dough and place on a lightly greased baking sheet that has been dusted with cornflour.
You can rer-oll the scraps and get up to about 18 English muffins or divide the dough by 9 to make big English muffins.
Allow the muffins to rise for about 1 hour, covered lightly with sprayed/oiled plastic wrap.
When the muffins have risen, place then a few at a time, on a preheated griddle (325℉) for about 5 to 6 minutes per side or over medium-low heat for the same about of time. If in a pan, it helps to cover the pan.

Notes

Split these muffins with a fork, not a knife, in order to get the most nooks and crannies.
The center of the muffin should register 190 degrees when finished (using an instant read thermometer).
You can use an electric griddle, stovetop griddle, frying pan, (anything with a wide flat surface) to cook these.
Make sure to sprinkle the griddle/pan generously with fine cornmeal (you can also use semolina or farina.)
If the cooking surface isn't non-stick, make sure to spray it with vegetable oil spray (before adding the cornmeal).
Check the bottoms after 2 to 3 minutes or so using a spatula to make sure your temperature isn't too high and you're not burning your English muffins.
These freeze well – freeze leftovers in sealed plastic bag or container for up to one month.

*You can make these with sourdough discard by eliminating the baking soda and adding 2 to 3 teaspoons of instant yeast. Mix the dough in one day (instead of in 2 parts) and let rise for about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Then, shape the English muffins, place them on a cornmeal dusted tray, cover them with plastic wrap loosely, and let rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes until they are nice and puffy before cooking them.

Estimated calories are for one small English muffin

Nutrition