This easy and delicious sourdough English Muffins will easily become your go to recipe for breakfasts. All it requires a little planning and you can make it ahead and these muffins are versatile too. What more you can also use your sourdough discard for this recipe.
With the holiday season upon us, I have so many things in my head with all the planning that goes weeks ahead to make this end of the year festivities memorable. So far, I made my Christmas cake and put up all the decorations. I like to make a few things ahead of time and store them in the freezer to avoid last minute stress. And this easy sourdough English muffins fits my schedule. We love its soft and fluffy texture for breakfast and its also easy on your stomach too due to long fermentation. These muffins can also be made to a sandwich.
The best part, is that you don’t need much planning or kneading like a traditional sourdough bread. You throw in all the ingredients and let it long ferment and next day make it. You can also start it in the morning and finish it off the same day, depending on the season the temperature of your home. The best part is that its a very flexible recipe and you can’t go wrong with it. A beginner can easily make these muffins.
Benefits of Sourdough
Sourdough has many health benefits. The main reason sourdough has gained popularity is due to the probiotic benefit of long fermentation which helps in boosting digestion and gut health. Moreover, it adds to better nutrient absorption in addition to promoting gut health.
People with gluten sensitivity can easily digest sourdough bread. Because the anti-nutrients present in grains like phytic acid breaks down during the fermentation making it easily digestible. The fermentation helps to lower the gluten in the grains and its rich in probiotics too.
These are some of the benefits of sourdough breads. Take a look at this site to know more about the health benefits of sourdough.
Tips For Making Sourdough English Muffins
- Use an active sourdough starter. Ideally, the starter should be fed a day before. I have used discard too and it works, but for the nice rise and bubbles a fresh starter is ideal.
- You can mix the first batch of ingredients overnight and do the bulk ferment and next day add the remaining batch and do a short ferment and bake it on the stove top girdle.
- Heat the cast iron skillet to hot and then once the muffins are in, reduce the heat to medium and cover. This allows the muffins to rise.
- During summer months, do the bulk ferment in the refrigerator, so its not too sour.
- You can substitute milk for the Greek yogurt or even plain full fat yogurt. All the variations work.
- If you don’t want to add the baking soda, then allow extra time for the second rise after shaping. Baking soda speeds up the process.
- Don’t panic if the dough is too runny. You can adjust the dough by adding flour. A lot depends on the type of flour you are using. I use spelt flour. This flour is low on gluten, so I am careful in adding water.
- In case, you feel its not cooked enough, bake it shortly at 180 deg centigrade till done.
Tools you will need
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- Large mixing bowl
- Danish dough hook
- Rolling pin
- Muffin Rings
- Cookie sheets
- Cast iron skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients for making Easy Sourdough English Muffins
- Flour : If you want to make soft and fluffy sourdough English muffins, white wheat flour is the best choice. I use spelt flour since about a decade and it works out too.
- Greek Yogurt – Yogurt adds fat and additional flavor. Moreover, helps the fermentation process. You can also use milk or even normal yogurt. ( I have done with all of them with slight variations.)
- Baking Soda – Makes the dough fluffier. Add the soda after the bulk ferment only.
- Honey – I usually substitute honey with sugar. Because heating and baking with honey creates toxins.
How to make Sourdough English Muffins
Make the Dough
Feed your sourdough starter the day you want to use in the morning so that its nice and bubbly.
on the previous night, mix together the starter, half of the flour roughly and yogurt and leave the dough covered overnight. You can refrigerate the dough for long fermentation depending on your schedule.
Day 2- Roll out the dough
Next day add the remaining flour, salt and baking soda if any and knead until smooth.
Roll out on a floured surface to about 1-2 cm in thickness and cut into circles. And place them 5 cm apart on a tray sprinkled with semolina or corn flour. Cover and let it rise for 45 min or until they bounce off when you make a dent with your finger.
Tip : If you want an even rise, use muffin rings for cutting, and second rise. Cook the muffins with the ring and it will puff up taller. But first grease the rings well with coconut oil.
Cook the muffins:
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add a few drops of coconut oil or any neutral oil and add 3-5 muffins, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook them for about 5 to 7 minutes, flip them, put the lid back on, and bake them for another 4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Cover the lid as the steam will make the muffins cook softer and even. Cook them in batches until they are all done.
Cool the muffins
Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
How to Serve Sourdough English Muffins
Serve them fresh and warm if possible.
You can easily toast them in a toaster the next day. We love it toasted too. If you are going to freeze a batch, take them out the night before to thaw, toast and serve.
We love to spread butter and a little of our homemade jam for breakfast.
Can I mix the dough in my stand mixer?
Yes, you can absolutely mix the dough in your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. But for the previous night, I would just use a spatula, but you can use the stand mixer the next day when you are adding the flour.
What if my English muffins are still gooey on the inside?
If your muffins are not fully cooked on the inside, you can always finish them in a preheated oven at 180 deg centigrade until done on the inside.
Can I make these sourdough English muffins vegan?
Yes, you can use a vegan yogurt or vegan milk and cane sugar instead of honey to make them completely vegan. I haven’t done it , but have seen recipes with the substitutes.
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If you want an even rise, use muffin rings for cutting, and second rise. Cook the muffins with the ring and it will puff up taller. But first grease the rings well with coconut oil.
For making it vegan, substitute the necessary.
You can easily let the dough rest in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
