• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Portfolio
  • Subscribe

Bright-Eyed Baker

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Portfolio
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Yeast Breads

    Published: Jul 18, 2014 · Modified: Jul 18, 2018 by alexandra · This post may contain affiliate links

    Sourdough English Muffins

    Jump to Recipe

    It's becoming ridiculous when I realize how many recipes I have in the lineup to share, considering the fact that many of them date from last summer, if not earlier. If that happens once, like with these gorgeously perfect strawberry muffins, then okay, I can deal with that. But when there are so many that I completely forget about them until the point that I scroll through all my photos and find sets from a year back, I start to realize it's an issue that needs fixing. Today is one fix of many that need to come, and honestly I'm not sure why I didn't share this one sooner because, admittedly, I definitely have a bread obsession (on top of my dark chocolate and caramel obsessions, that is).

    Sourdough English Muffins - soft and puffy English made at home with a simple fry pan. | www.brighteyedbaker.com this recipe

    The sad truth is that I got rid of my sourdough starter a while back, because, quite honestly, I didn't have time to deal with it and I'd sorta messed it up. But back when I was a diligent sourdough-maker (because there was a time when I was on top of things like that) this was one of my favorite recipes to make, in addition to this amazing sourdough bread. The two are on opposite ends of the sourdough spectrum, but both are so incredibly good in their own way. These english muffins are soft and light and puffy and... just dreamy. They're not quite like your typical english muffin, and they're also not an especially sour sourdough, but they're something of their own that's 100% divine. They make an amazing breakfast that I *plan* on sharing next time, but until then, just know they work perfectly with melted butter, jelly, eggs, or just about anything you can think to top them with. And if you haven't gotten a sourdough starter going yet in your kitchen, get on it! For reals ;)

    Print

    Sourdough English Muffins

    Sourdough English Muffins - soft and puffy English muffins made at home with a simple fry pan. | www.brighteyedbaker.com
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe
    • Cook Time: 16 minutes
    • Total Time: 16 minutes
    • Yield: about 20-22 english muffins 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 8 ounces (1 cup) warm water (110º-115ºF)
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 3 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 8 ½ ounces (1 cup) milk
    • 17 ounces (4 cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour, divided
    • 9 ⅛ ounces (1 cup) sourdough starter
    • 12 ¾ ounces (3 cups, spoon and level) bread flour, divided
    • 2 ounces (¼ cup) butter, softened and cubed
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • cornmeal, for rolling and dusting

    Instructions

    1. Sprinkle sugar over warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in with a wooden spoon to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast on top, stir in, and let sit for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
    2. Meanwhile, scald the milk in the microwave (or on the stove) by heating until the temperature measures 180ºF on a reliable digital thermometer . Cool to 110º-115ºF before using.
    3. Add 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour and starter to the yeast mixture and stir in until relatively smooth. Let sit for another 10 minutes, or until very bubbly. Add 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup) bread flour, butter, cooled milk, and salt, and beat in using the mixer's paddle attachment on medium-low for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 12 ¾ ounces (3 cups) all-purpose flour and 8 ½ ounces (2 cups) bread flour and beat in on low speed until a dough begins to form.
    4. Switch to the dough hook and knead with hook on low speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more bread flour sparingly as needed.
    5. Shape dough into a round with a smooth top and transfer to a greased bowl about twice its size, turning once to coat dough with cooking spray. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. (For overnight rising, see notes below.)
    6. Punch risen dough down gently and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, dust a surface with cornmeal for rolling out the dough and lay out a few large sheets of parchment paper. Fill a shallow bowl or plate with extra cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Keep one half covered while rolling out other half to ½" thick and use a round cookie cutter, about 3"-3 ½" in diameter, to cut out circles of dough. Dip top side of cut muffins in bowl/plate of cornmeal to coat, and then transfer to a sheet of parchment (well spread out) for second rising, covering with greased plastic wrap. Ball up remaining scraps from first half of dough and cover while repeating process with second half. Once done, kneads scraps from both halves together briefly and shape back into a smooth ball. Let rest for 10 minutes before rolling out and cutting remaining muffins. Let muffins rise, covered, until approximately doubled in size and very puffy.
    7. Heat your largest skillet/fry pan on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Carefully slide a few muffins, one by one, onto a large flat spatula and transfer to pan. Leave space between the muffins as they cook because they will expand. Cover and cook muffins for about 8 minutes, and then carefully flip and cook another 8 minutes or so on the second side. The muffins should be golden-brown and have an internal temperature of 200º-205ºF when done.* Adjust heat and cooking time as needed to ensure that the muffins turn golden-brown but don't burn. Once cooked, transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool while cooking remaining muffins. Serve warm/toasted with melted butter, jam, jelly, etc. Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature.

    Notes

    *If you don't have a kitchen thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the muffins when cooking them, I'd recommend that you split the first one open when you're done to make sure it's fully cooked.

    Overnight Rise:
    After making the dough, place in the refrigerator to rise overnight. The following day, take the dough out of the refrigerator and, if not yet doubled in size, allow to rise further at room temperature. Once dough has risen to doubled, continue with step 6.

    Recipe Adapted From: King Arthur Flour and Simmer Seasonal Recipes

    Have you made this recipe?

    Tag @brighteyedbaker on Instagram and hashtag it #brighteyedbaker

    This post contains affiliate links. Links are always for products I personally have used and love. 

    For more recipes and other food-related tidbits, stick around and subscribe to receive new blog updates by e-mail or RSS. You can also find recipes by category in the recipe index. 

    Stay In Touch: Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker on Social Media

          

    Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2014

    More Yeast Breads

    • Raisin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Cranberry Chocolate Sweet Rolls
    • Rustic Dutch Oven Bread
    • Everything Bagel Bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Loren says

      January 17, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Thank you very much for the recipe! I am waiting for the last rise before cooking them on the griddle. So far, it has been a pretty straightforward recipe, and it's a great way to use my starter! The dough handles like a dream. Quick question - what is the purpose of scalding the milk? What would happen if I just went straight to heating the milk to 110 vs. scalding it first?

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        January 22, 2016 at 10:12 am

        Scalding the milk gets rid of the enzymes that can kill yeast. :)

        Reply
    2. Derek says

      April 06, 2015 at 11:28 am

      This is a tasty recipe but quite time consuming. Not a high level of difficulty but I'm not sure if the time it takes is worth the final result. I think I'll go back to buying them in store. But, if you are determined to make your own, this recipe is definitely worth trying

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        April 07, 2015 at 12:45 pm

        Homemade bread does tend to be a bit time-consuming, and these more so due to the individual cutting and cooking, but I find it to be worth it as an occasional splurge. Glad you liked them nonetheless. :)

        Reply
    3. Andrea says

      October 24, 2014 at 7:49 am

      I made these last week and we love them. I had been working up the courage to make a sourdough starter and this recipe finally gave me the last little nudge I needed. I have a question, though. How well do these freeze? A full batch will take us a couple of weeks to get through (I made a half batch before) and I want them to stay good the whole time.

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        October 24, 2014 at 11:21 am

        That's awesome! I'm so happy to hear it!! I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I think that they should freeze quite well in a freezer-safe bag for a few weeks. :)

        Reply
    4. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      July 20, 2014 at 9:04 pm

      I've never thought to make my own english muffins before.. i definitely will be trying this recipe. thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        July 21, 2014 at 1:14 pm

        Thanks Thalia! I hope you give it a go!

        Reply
    5. Leah | So, How's It Taste? says

      July 20, 2014 at 2:31 pm

      Ooo, I've never made my own English muffins, but I should! I just love them with either savory or sweet toppings. Yours look so perfect!

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        July 21, 2014 at 1:14 pm

        Thanks so much Leah!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    about-me

    Hey There! Thanks for stopping by! Here's what you can expect to find on Bright-Eyed Baker: lots of baked goods and other sweets made from scratch (many of which are gluten-free), plus the occasional savory recipe or mixed drink. My goal is to show you that from-scratch baking - gluten-free or not! - doesn't have to be intimidating. Learn more about me.

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • DIY: Caramel sauce with milk (no butter, no cream)
    • How to Cut Parchment Paper Rounds for Cake
    • Easy caramel iced coffee
    • DIY: Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts {gluten-free}
    • DIY: Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream
    • DIY: Candied orange peel {gluten-free}
    • Espresso powder and how to make it
    • How to make buttermilk
    seasonal favorites icon
    EASTER RECIPES
    • Blackberry Mint Mimosa
    • Simple and Moist Carrot Bundt Cake (gluten-free option)
    • The Mimosa Mojito
    • Strawberry Oatmeal Crumb Bars (gluten-free option, dairy-free)
    • Strawberry Layer Cake {gluten-free}
    • Best Summer Mixed Berry Galette (gluten-free option)
    • Raisin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins {gluten-free option}

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme