Best Sourdough English Muffins Recipes

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Steps:

• The morning before you want to enjoy your English muffins, prepare your dough: In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together starter, water, honey and oil.
• Select a container or bowl that will hold at least 3 quarts, as this dough will grow 3 to 4 times in size. Add the flour and salt to it, making a well in the center. Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir with your hands, clawing the mixture and flipping it occasionally until no flour streaks remain, and you are left with a dense, shaggy, wet ball. Scrape the bowl as needed to integrate sneaky flour pockets.
• Cover loosely with a lid or inverted plate. Tuck in a warm, draft-free place and allow it to nearly quadruple in volume over the next 8 to 12 hours.
• Dust a work surface heavily with flour. Prepare a large baking sheet by coating it with a light dusting of polenta, followed by a dusting of flour.
• Deflate the dough by scraping it down in the bowl with a spatula. Transfer the dough to the dusted work surface. (Do not dust the surface of your dough, as you want it to stick to itself.) Using a bowl scraper, bench knife or lightly floured hands, pick up the dough from underneath, stretch and fold it like a business letter: bottom third up to the middle, top third down. Using the bowl scraper, flip your dough onto the prepared baking sheet so the folded side is now the underside.
• Lightly flour the top surface of your dough, then grease a rolling pin with neutral oil and roll your dough out to 1/2-inch thick, using additional oil on the pin if the dough begins to stick.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface and tuck it around the edges of the dough to prevent it from drying out. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight for a more pronounced sour flavor.
• When ready to cook, heat your largest cast-iron pan over medium-low and lightly grease with neutral oil.
• Remove dough from the fridge, peel away plastic, lightly flour the surface of the dough and gently brush the flour to distribute evenly. Using a greased 4-inch ring cutter (or the ring top of a large Mason jar), cut the dough into muffins.
• Place as many muffins as you can fit along the edges of your cast-iron pan (avoiding the hot center of the pan), puffy-side up. In between batches, refrigerate any muffins you are not cooking.
• Cook undisturbed, for 6 to 8 minutes or until visibly puffed and matte like a very fluffy pancake. Once they are visibly golden on the bottom - you can take a peek - flip them and lightly press so they make full contact with the pan, then continue to cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until golden. It helps to give them a gentle 180-degree turn midway through cooking.
• Transfer cooked, hot muffins to a large plastic freezer bag or sealed container and seal to steam a bit to finish. (Steaming helps make the outer crust soft and chewy.)
• Wipe the pan dry and re-grease lightly as before. Continue cooking, transferring finished muffins to the plastic bag.
• When fully cool, about 1 hour, remove muffins and pierce each around the middle with a fork to perforate. When ready to eat, peel muffins apart, toast and slather with butter. Store remaining muffins in a separate bag or resealable container in the refrigerator. These are best enjoyed fresh, but can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, then toasted.

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Stir milk and sourdough starter together in a large bowl until mostly smooth. Mix in flour. Cover bowl and leave to ferment at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• Add sugar, baking soda, and salt to the preferment, stirring just enough to incorporate. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 4 to 5 minutes, adding as much of the 1/2 cup flour as needed to make the dough workable.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten dough to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 4-inch rounds using a clean tuna can or biscuit cutter; keep edges well floured to avoid sticking.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal over a sheet of waxed paper. Arrange cut-outs over the cornmeal. Sprinkle a thin layer over the dough. Let rest for 45 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Cook English muffins until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Night Before:.
• Mix starter, honey and milk in mixing bowl until smooth.
• Add 4 cups flour, mixing in 2 cups at a time.
• Mix only until the flour is thoroughly wet.
• Cover with clean towel and leave at room temperature in a draft free place for 12-16 hours.
• Next Morning:.
• Stir down mixture.
• Sprinkle a scant teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons salt over the surface of the dough and work into dough.
• Flour board with 1 cup flour and knead until dough is medium stiff - adding more flour as needed. The dough should be moist but not sticking to your hands.
• Once enough flour has been added, knead an additional 5 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.
• Roll dough on floured board to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut the dough with a 3-4 inch round cutter -- keeping them uniform in thickness and diameter.
• Place them on wax paper sprinkled with corn meal, taking care that they do not touch.
• Sprinkle corn meal over tops of muffins.
• Allow to rise in warm place, covered, for about an hour or until risen again.
• Preheat a griddle or frying pan with small amount of butter (add a little olive oil to keep from smoking). If using muffin rings, preheat them on the grill.
• Using a low flame or heat setting, bake one side for 4-5 minutes and turn. Place lid over the muffins to help them cook all the way through. Turn only once so be sure the one side is cooked before turning.
• Squish down a bit with spatula and pan bake other side for another 4-5 minutes.
• Look like store bought . . . taste even better!

BEST SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Steps:

• The night before, feed sourdough starter as you normally do.
• The next morning take out 1/2 cup starter for use in the muffins.
• Sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/4 cup warm water.
• Allow yeast to become bubbly.
• Heat milk to lukewarm, add remaining 1 cup water, sourdough starter, baking soda, salt and yeast to large mixing bowl.
• Add half the flour and beat well with electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
• Cover bowl and let rise to double in bulk, this depends on the weather but takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add melted butter and remaining flour beating and kneading thoroughly.
• Cover and again allow to rise until double, approximately 45 minutes.
• Turn dough out on board dusted slightly with flour and either corn meal, oat bran or wheat germ.
• Flatten with rolling pin to 3/4-inch thickness.
• Cut with a 2-1/2 inch diameter cutter, place on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Allow muffins to rest and rise for about 15 minutes or until light.
• Spray griddle or heavy skillet with non-stick cooking spray and preheat until water sizzles when dropped on griddle.
• Cook the muffins on preheated griddle for approximately 15 minutes, turning several times.
• When ready to serve, split in half with fork, toast lightly and top with favorite toppings.
• Note: The preparation time includes feeding the starter overnight.