Homemade Sourdough English Muffins
These homemade sourdough English muffins are a delightful twist on the classic, baked entirely in the oven for a crisp yet tender crumb. Each muffin boasts a beautiful golden-brown crust that gives way to a soft, airy interior, filled with the signature tangy depth that only a long-fermented sourdough can provide. Unlike griddled versions, these muffins achieve an even bake, offering a consistent texture that’s perfect for splitting open and slathering with butter, jam, or your favorite spread. Whether toasted or enjoyed fresh, they promise a rich, complex flavor and irresistibly chewy bite. A true bakery-worthy treat from the comfort of your own kitchen!
Intrigued by their perfect texture and rich flavor, I decided to give this recipe a try. With just a handful of pantry staples and a straightforward method, making homemade sourdough English muffins turned out to be easier than I even imagined.
In a nutshell,
- Heat milk, water and butter together just until the butter melts. Let cool to around 105 degrees.
- Mix the active starter and sugar together. If you don’t have a starter and need a recipe look here.
- Add in the butter mixture
- Add the flour and salt
- Mix to a shaggy dough and let rest for about 30 minutes.
- Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds. This is a process where you pull the dough from one side and pull it up and over the dough. Do this on all 4 sides of the dough during each interval. Rest after each interval for about 15 to 30 minutes.
- Bulk Ferment until almost double. This can take an additional 4 to 8 hours depending on the temperature of your home.
- Once the dough has risen to almost double place the bowl into the fridge to proof for 24 to 48 hours.
Here is where I took a different approach from the original recipe – particularly in how the muffins are baked. Instead of cooking them on the stovetop, I opted for the oven. While stovetop methods are common, the require constant monitoring and can easily result in uneven browning and/or burning. I wanted a hassle-free process, so I found a way to bake them in a straight-sided muffin pan.
Since my existing muffin pans had slanted sides and smaller, they wouldn’t give me the uniform shape and size I was aiming for. That led me on a hunt for the perfect pad, which I eventually found these on Amazon. Of course, if you prefer a more traditional method, you can always roll out the dough, cut it into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, and bake them on a cornmeal-dusted sheet pan.
When you are ready to bake, roll the dough into balls and place them in the muffin pan dusted with cornmeal. To roll into balls:
- Measure the dough and divide it by 12 so each piece is relatively the same size.
- To roll into balls, fold the dough under itself and roll the ball on the counter to smooth is out.
- Place the balls into the pan and press the tops to flatten a little.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise and get noticeably bubbly.
Set the oven to 400 degrees. When the oven is ready place the pans in the oven covered with a sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes and flip. To do this flip the muffin pan onto the top sheet pan. The muffins will be on the sheet pan now. Bake an additional 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. When cooled open the muffins by sticking fork into middle on the side of the muffin and gently work it open. Using a fork to do this maintains all the little nooks and crannies that English muffins are known for.
The full recipe is provided below. I hope you find this recipe as simple and delicious as do! If you make these leave me comment below to let me know what you think.
Homemade Sourdough English Muffins
These homemade sourdough English muffins are a delightful twist on the classic, baked entirely in the oven for a crisp yet tender crumb. Each muffin boasts a beautiful golden-brown crust that gives way to a soft, airy interior, filled with the signature tangy depth that only a long-fermented sourdough can provide.
- Muffin pans for 12 muffins (see link about)
- Sheet pans for covers
- 75 grams active starter
- 245 grams whole milk
- 120 grams water
- 56 grams unsalted butter
- 24 grams sugar
- 500 grams all purpose flour
- 12 grams salt
Melt butter, water and milk just until butter is melted. This can be done either in the microwave or on the stove. Allow the mixture to cool to at least 105°
Mix the active starter with the sugar in a bowl. Add in the butter mixture once it has cooled.
Mix in the flour and salt. Combine to a shaggy dough. The dough will seem a bit wet but as you go through the sets of stretch and fold you should notice the dough getting stronger. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, 15 to 30 minutes apart. Be sure to do this within a 2-hour period. Once the 4 sets are complete, bulk rise until the dough has almost doubled.
Proof in the fridge
When the dough has almost doubled. Place the covered bowl in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. If you want to bake without proofing in the fridge just to the Ready to bake steps.
Ready to bake
Remove dough from the bowl and measure it on a food scale for the total weight. Divide the total weight by 12 to get uniform muffins.
Divide each piece according to weight and roll into a ball. Roll the ball on the counter to create tension. This will smooth out the ball. Place the ball into the cornmeal dusted muffin pan. Flatten the balls out slightly to fill the muffin cup.
Once all balls are rolled out. Cover the muffin pans with plastic wrap or the sheet pans and allow them to rise for about an hour or longer if you have a cold kitchen. They should look noticeably puffy.
Set oven to 400°
Remove plastic wrap from the muffin pans and place them in the oven. Carefully place a sheet pan on top to cover. If you can get both pans the oven at the same time great, if not bake them in two separate bakes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Flip the muffin pan onto the sheet pan and place the sheet pan with the muffins on it into the oven to bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove muffins from the oven and immediately place them on a wire rack to cool completely!
Enjoy!