These healthy and delicious sourdough English muffins are a super simple no-knead recipe. Just mix up the night before and cook in the morning for a yummy breakfast. This is seriously the easiest English muffin recipe around.
I have already confessed my sincere love for my bubbly 9 year old sourdough starter that I talked about in this post.
I use it in my kitchen often. Pancakes, english muffins, waffles, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake… I have even attempted Sourdough Doughnuts.
I love the way sourdough adds a depth of flavor to baked goods that just isn’t there in store-bought bread products.
Plus, I have a satisfaction cooking with a starter that I made and maintain with my own two hands. I hope to pass it down as a family heirloom.
To me, it is valuable to learn how to make something in your own home that you just can’t buy in the store. Artisan style.
I get really excited by things like this.
Why Sourdough?
Grains have gotten an undeserved bad rep in the health food community.
Have you ever heard of phytic acid? Basically, it’s an antinutrient found in grains, beans, and nuts that interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients. They are present on grains to keep them from spoiling.
There is a reason they are there, but there is also good evidence that our bodies weren’t meant to handle them. Proper preparation of grains eliminates most, if not all, of the phytic acid in offending foods.
But, did you know that traditional cultures thrived on grains? The key difference between the way they consumed grains then, and the way we do in our modern society now, can be summed up in two words: proper preparation.
It was necessary for folks to ferment grains for them to rise into delicious bread. Before yeast was isolated and sold in little packets, sourdough starter was a valuable commodity in homes and families, passed down for generations.
These days we’ve lost that art. And, what have we found? People can’t handle grains anymore.
Read more about sourdough starter, how to make it, and why I love it HERE.
But for now, let’s talk about the topic at hand.
Are sourdough English muffins good for you?
Yes! Not only are they easier to digest than standard English muffins made from non-fermented wheat, but they also contain more nutrients that your body can more easily absorb, such as fiber, and are a good source of B vitamins.
They are more nutritious because phytic acid is broken down during the fermentation process. Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that binds to the nutrients in grains (and other foods like nuts, beans, and seeds) that prevent absorption.
Why you will love this recipe:
I love Sourdough English Muffins because they taste like bread and work like bread, but take about 1/10th of the work that making regular sourdough bread takes.
And for this busy momma, that’s a recipe for a great… well… recipe.
I can whip them up in no time. And my family can enjoy a healthy bread that is so much cheaper than sprouted whole grain bread from the store.
Sourdough English muffins work great for sandwiches with meat and cheese, or smothered in butter and honey for breakfast.
Tips For Making Sourdough English Muffins
- When cooking this recipe, the skillet needs to be hot before adding the English muffin dough so that it doesn’t stick, but then needs to be quickly reduced so they have a chance to rise and cook through.
- Make sure the sourdough starter you are using is nice and active. This will give the dough those beautiful bubbles.
- The type of flour you use, as well as humidity and quality of the starter, will cause each batch to need slightly different amounts of flour. If the dough seems too runny, add a bit more flour.
- The fermentation time will depend on how warm your house is. The cooler your house, the longer it will take for the dough to double, compared to a warmer house.
- You can substitute milk for water.
- You can skip the second rise as long as you add in the baking soda. Alternatively, you can do no baking soda and allow them to rise for an hour after dividing/shaping, before cooking.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Tools you may need:
Lid
Large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins
The night before you want sourdough English muffins, stir in a glass bowl: flour, water, and active sourdough starter. This is sourdough starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before starting the recipe, and is nice and bubbly.
Cover it with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. You can get away with a longer rise time in the cooler months, and the fermentation process can take less time in the summer if your house is hot.
This is what mine looked like after 24 hours in a 68-70 degree house.
Look at those delicious bubbles!
NOTE: This recipe was updated in October 2021 to add a bit more flour, after several readers commented that the English muffins were turning out more like pancakes. As with any recipe, the type of flour you use, as well as humidity and quality of the starter, will cause each batch to need slightly different amounts of flour.
As you get familiar with this recipe, you will know exactly how much flour is needed by feel. If your English muffins are turning out like pancakes, you definitely need more flour. They should not be flat.
Also, cooking technique does have a lot to do with it. The dough needs to hit a hot cast iron skillet, so that it doesn’t stick, but then the heat needs to be quickly reduced so they have a chance to rise and cook through!
After Fermentation:
After the dough has fermented, add honey, salt, and baking soda.
Preheat your cast iron skillet on low and add a little coconut oil.
Mix the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated. You will probably have to use your hands for this, as the dough will be pretty thick. If the dough feels runny, add a bit more flour. It should be workable, yet not stiff. If the English muffins turn out flat like pancakes, it is a good indication they need more flour.
Divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
Drop it in a hot cast iron skillet.
Reduce the heat to low for about 10 minutes so the dough has a chance to rise.
Let them cook until doubled in size. Turn the skillet up to about 3 or 4 (not quite medium) and continue to cook until they are browned slightly on the bottom.
Don’t try to flip them until they come up easily from the pan. The goal is to only flip them one time.
Cook them on the other side until browned.
These English muffins have a tendency to cook on the outside before the inside is fully done. So, be sure to not turn the skillet up too high. If they are browned on the outside, but still not done on the inside, throw them in a 250 to 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so.
After they are cooked all the way through, slice them open and enjoy!
How To Make Sourdough English Muffins Without Baking Soda
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together (minus the baking soda). Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes; this is called autolyse. This is the process of allowing the dough to rest so the flour has a chance to hydrate. Also, during this time the gluten starts to develop and the dough becomes stretchier.
Knead for five minutes with hands on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in bowl and cover with a lid, or plastic wrap.
Bulk rise: 8-12 hours in a warm place. Dough should double in size. This also could be done in the refrigerator. The dough will be stiffer which makes rolling out a little easier.
Shape by rolling out into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.
Cut out using a biscuit cutter or wide mouth mason jar.
Place in a parchment lined baking dish with a little cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom (optional). Cover and rise again for about an hour in a warm place.
Cook in a cast iron skillet. Start the skillet really hot, add the English muffins, and turn down the heat immediately to low. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Flip and cook through until completely done – about another 5 minutes.
Place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with butter or homemade strawberry jam.
A Word On Flour
Over the years, I have fed my starter with all of the following at some point: freshly ground whole grain white flour that I ground in my own mill, all purpose flour, ancient einkorn, unbleached all purpose, store bought whole wheat flour… and probably some others I can’t remember.
The point is, my sourdough starter still bubbles away despite the flour choice. Use whatever flour you have, and enjoy your Sourdough English muffins!
Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Sourdough Pizza Crust
- Healthy One Pot Meal- Sourdough Skillet
- Sourdough Tortillas
- Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
- Easy Sourdough Flatbread
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.
Sourdough English Muffins
Learn how to make healthy and delicious sourdough English muffins with this simple tutorial.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional, see notes)
- coconut oil
Instructions
- The night before you want sourdough English muffins, stir in a glass bowl: 2 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter.
- Cover it with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 12- 24 hours. You can get away with a longer in the cooler months and the fermentation process can take less time in the summer if your house is hot.
- After it has fermented, add to the mixture 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet on high and add a little coconut oil.
- Mix the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated. You will probably have to use your hands for this. The dough will be pretty thick. NOTE: If the dough feels runny, add a bit more flour. It should be workable, yet not stiff. If the English muffins turn out flat like pancakes, it is a good indication they need more flour.
- Divide the dough in 12 equal parts and drop each portion of dough into a hot cast iron skillet.
- Reduce the heat to low for about 10 minutes so the dough has a chance to rise.
- Let them cook until doubled in size. Turn the skillet up to medium/low and continue to cook until they are browned slightly on the bottom. Don’t try to flip them until they come up easily from the pan. The goal is to only flip them one time.
- Cook them on the other side until browned. These English muffins have a tendency to cook on the outside before the inside is fully done. So, be sure to not turn the skillet up too high. If they are browned on the outside, but still not done on the inside, throw them in a 250 to 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. Alternatively, you can put a lid on and allow them to cook on low.
- After they are cooked all the way through, slice them open and enjoy!
Notes
Substitute milk for water if you would like.
You can skip the second rise as long as you add in the baking soda. Alternatively, you can do no baking soda and allow them to rise for an hour after dividing/shaping, before cooking. See post for instructions.
*This recipe was updated in October 2021 to add a bit more flour, after several readers commented that the English muffins were turning out more like pancakes. As with any recipe, the type of flour you use, as well as humidity and quality of the starter, will cause each situation to need slightly different amounts of flour. As you get familiar with this recipe you will know exactly how much flour is needed by feel. If your English muffins are turning out like pancakes, you definitely need more flour. They should not be flat.
Also, cooking technique does have a lot to do with it. The dough needs to hit a hot cast iron skillet, so that it doesn't stick, but the heat needs to be quickly reduced so they have a chance to rise and cook through!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
Carolyn says
Hi Lisa,
I have recently discovered your site and am so happy that I did!!
I am making sour dough starter now. I started it Sunday night. I am concerned, though, because our house isn’t always real warm. Is there something that I can do to insure that the starter stays warm enough to do what it is supposed to do?
Thank you so much,
Carolyn in not so warm Florida.
Lisa says
Not warm in Florida?! That’s a bummer. Do you have a stove you could set it on, or maybe the oven with a pilot light on? Or possibly on a heating pad with a towel over it. If your house is close to 70 it should be totally fine. You definitely don’t want it too warm.
Anonymous says
Put it in your microwave with the light on. It should hit between 75-80 deg F in there.
Flora says
Hi. I love this recipe, it was amazing!!!! I shared it with everyone i know who has a sourdough starter!!!!
But I have a question: i onky have my starter for about 5 months, its still pretty liquid, I noticed yours is much thicker. Now my English muffins were pretty flat and I had a hard time getting a good rise. Do you have any suggestions? What are your approximate measurements when you feed your starter? Mine has a consistency of a really thick pancake batter. And my engkish muffin dough turned out about the same… Very very stretchy and sticky but not like a real dough… Seems less firm than yours even though I used the exact measurements.
Thank you
Sarah Elizabeth Dapkiewicz says
Same Flora, mine is drippy. I want to add more flour but feel like that defeats the purpose of letting it sit so long to sour.
Caroline Baril-Mantha says
Hello everyone! Same here, it is still pretty liquid. The recipe is so delicious, but my english muffins are flat.
Heather says
Try using some whole wheat flour when you feed your starter. I use 60-40 Ap to WW.
Jiska says
My sourdough starter was also very liquidy. I started feeding it a bit more flower than water and now it is a lot thicker and still very healthy or maybe even healthier.
My english muffins were also very flat in the beginning. Now I add a bit more flower if I see that the batter is a bit runny.
casandra says
i used a starter guide from “the perfect loaf” and have an amazing and healthy starter. to maintain, i use a 50/50 percentage mix of milled rye and AP flour, then 100% water. you can adjust the grams based on how much discard and usable starter you want/need for your use.
if you use too much water in feeding your starter it will be too liquid. or, if you don’t feed it enough, based on how you store it, you will have more liquid.
hop that helps!
Abigail says
I read the sourdough starter guide and was surprised to see the measurements listed in cups, not grams. The other sourdough starter recipes I’ve read instruct you to add equal amount of flour and water by weight not mass. So rather than adding a cup each of flour and water, I’ve been adding 40 grams each of flour and water.
Miranda says
I am having a hard time getting my english muffins to rise. I’m doing everything correct for the recipe and my start looks like it is supposed to. They just don’t rise and turn out as flat as a pancake almost. Do you have any ideas?
Lisa says
Try putting them in the cast iron skillet on a super low temp and allow them to rise for a bit there. As long as the cook slowly they should rise.
ANNA GRAY says
I have noticed that if the starter is really broken down then the dough is more liguid-y… I speculate that the starter needs to be refreshed and/or less proofing time. There needs to be gluten proteins/sugars left for the bacteria/yeasts to eat to get the rise.
Kelly says
Lisa, I did everything the way you described but my dough was sooooo sticky. It’s like I didn’t have enough flour or something. Any thoughts on what I did wrong? :/
Lisa says
Try adding a little more flour next time. It definitely depends on hydrated your starter is.
Megan says
Hi Lisa,
I really want to try this but if I don’t have a cast iron pan can I use a stainless steel pan?
Lisa says
Hey Megan! I am afraid they would stick to stainless steel.
Jenna says
They will not stick, just like the cast iron you let your stainless steel pain heat up on high then turn down to low to cool a bit then add your oil and you shouldn’t have any problems with them sticking unless you don’t let your pan heat up first
Dorothea says
Hi Megan, I’ve just tried them with a stainless steel pan and it worked great. It’s a better quality one, though, it would definitely not work on my other, cheaper one.
Lisa says
Great to know! Thanks for sharing Dorothea!
Kelsey says
Hi! I have a sourdough starter question. This was my first time using it and I put my starter out on the counter yesterday and feed it. It was super happy and looked great,though I wanted to leave it fro 24 hours. I didn’t take in to acoxu t the temperature of the house which is closer to 78 or so. This morning, it was not even really bubbling and looked so sad. Did I kill it? On your video you talked about having all the good bacteria eaten up… But can I save it? I went ahead and took the 1/2 cup from it and made the proof for the muffins anyway. Will it work? Do I disguard the new mixture and retry something with my starter? Right now I just put the starter in the fridge. So, I’m confused and don’t really know what to do, so any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!
Lisa says
It should be totally fine! It won’t die that quickly.
Sarah Chiem says
Can i freeze left overs?
Lisa says
Yes, you sure can!
sandy says
Can I use almond flour to make these?
Shannon says
This is a weekly go-to in our home. I double the recipe and batch-make these for the week for breakfasts and use them for sandwiches for my husband’s lunches. I keep them in the freezer and pull as needed.
Christy says
Thank you for your wonderful blog. I’m exploring and very much enjoying trying your recipes! Any way these muffins could be baked instead of cooked on the stove top? I’d love to be able to walk away from the stove with a timer to listen for!
Kecia says
I bake mine in the oven at 350 degrees and turn them over after about 10 minutes so they are flat on both sides. Otherwise they puff up a little in the middle. I put them back in for about 10 more minutes. You would need to watch them the first time and time them as everybody’s oven is different.
Amy says
This is what I was wondering too! It seems easier for me to put them all at once into a cast iron and in the oven. I am going to try this so wish me luck! Lol
Karen says
I have made your sourdough starter for the first time and it worked perfectly. However, I followed the English muffin recipe to a T and it was a very loose or slightly runny dough. Not just sticky but to soft to even pick up and put in my hand. I ended up adding nearly 2/3 C. of flour to make it work. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks!
Diana says
Hey Lisa!!
Thanks so much for sharing! It’s so encouraging to find like minded people. And I’m just loving your recipes! I started my started and I can’t stop baking!!! It’s all so delicious!
I was just curious how you store your baked goods; English muffins, tortillas….and for how long?
Thanks again for sharing!
-Diana
Lisa says
I usually just store them in ziplocks on the counter, because we never can keep them very long. My kids love baked kids! Haha. I should probably find a better solution than plastic, but thats what it is for now.
Lisa says
Hi Lisa,
I’m a little confused about the “fed” starter. Are you taking the starter straight from the fridge to add to the english muffin recipe: Or do you take the starter out the day before, feed it, then add to the english muffin mix to sit overnight? Thanks!
Lisa says
Let it sit about 8 hours. That’s what I would consider a fed starter. Not one that was just recently fed, but out for a while first to get the good bacteria all throughout. Hopefully that makes sense!
Stephania Messina says
Okay, I am making these right now and I am way over excited because they are just so amazing! My kids are begging for more and I almost can’t believe how great they actually turned out! I was skeptical as my Dad has made me a lifelong Thomas’ lover, but these are honestly even better. So chewy and buttery. My husband says I always go ok muffin baking kicks when I’m pregnant so these fit in perfectly ?Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Lisa says
Yes!! So glad you are loving them! Smothered with butter and honey, and fresh off the griddle, they really are simply amazing. 🙂
Deb Buchanan says
Call me crazy… but I am patiently waiting for you cookbook! I collect cookbooks and I feel yours would be a great addition to my library—-please?!! ( I cannot keep reading from my phone while I try to cook! Lol)
Patti says
Me, too! Would purchase in a heartbeat for my collection!!!!
Alyssa says
Hello Lisa, I love this easy bread idea and can’t wait to try it! I’m wondering though, would this recipe still work if you baked them in the oven instead of on the stovetop? If so, what oven temperature and time would you suggest? It would be nice to just walk away and do other things while they bake!
Kecia says
I bake mine on parchment paper at 350 F for 10 minutes and flip them over so they are flat on both sides. If you don’t flip them they will puff up more in the middle. Then bake another 5-10 minutes until they’re lightly brown on top. The outer edges get done first so they won’t expand out much and they always rise well for me.
Kelly says
You are so right on with this recipe! Way easier than bread and sooo delicious!
Anna says
Hi!
What other oil would you recommend that’s not coconut oil?
Thanks!
Anna
Kelly says
I added more flour because you said the dough would be thick and mine is very runny even the next morning.
K. Morton says
I use olive oil.
Janice Black says
I skipped the oil entirely, and they did great! Just made sure my pan was preheated well (as per the directions) so that they would form a crust and not stick. I suppose it depends on how soft and sticky your dough, is, though. Mine were definitely on the dryer side. And the cast-iron pan I was using is well “seasoned,” which probably also helps.
Denise says
I made this recipe this morning but my dough turned into a starter consistency overnight. I did use einkorn flour so I’m thinking I may have to adjust the water to flour ratio. Do you have any thoughts on using einkorn?
bob says
I am just starting to work with sourdough starter and bread. I found Einkorn flour requires about 1/2 the water other flours require for the same consistency. I am going by the photos of the dough for a guide. Farmhouseboone.com has good visuals.
Eva says
My sourdough pancakes and English muffins came out delicious! Thank you!
Rachel says
A friend introduced me to your YouTube channel and I immediately became interested in sourdough after watching your videos about it. I just made these English muffins for the first time this morning and they were so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. My whole family loved them and I loved being able to serve them something I knew was good for them that I had made with my own two hands. I want my kids to look back on their childhood and have fond memories of mom’s sourdough. Thank you for helping me get it started!
Allison says
This recipe is amazing! My daughter who struggles with texture and is picky LOVES the English muffins. The dozen from yesterday is gone already. Do they freeze well? Going to have to make a triple batch! Last night for dinner I made the sloppy joes with ground beef on the muffins. Thought I had turkey, but I didn’t :-/ Put on your pickles too. So yummy 🙂
Margaret says
I made these for the first time today and they turned out perfectly! I love how easy this recipe is!! Do these freeze well?
Lisa says
Yes, they sure do!
Deanna says
Hi Lisa,
I made both your Sourdough English Muffins and Pancakes and they are so delicious! However, the next day after making the English muffins I noticed they were a little grey in color. Is there something I did wrong? I used all-purpose unbleached organic flour for both my fed starter and this recipe. I’m wondering if I need to just throw them out or if they are still edible. Thank you!
Lisa says
That is totally normal and fine!
Roxanne Kopeczy says
Hello! If I made a g/f sourdough starter would i still be able to use this recipe but just with gluten free four? How would that work?
Simona says
Hi Lisa,
I just wanted to let you know about a discrepancy in your sourdough starter recipe. In your video you say to use 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water and in the written description you say 1 cup flour and 1 cup water.
Just FYI.
God bless you and your family,
Simona
Lisa says
Thank you Simona! I actually changed the text because I had a lot of people who said the instructions were too dry, and I found myself telling people just to add a little more water. I haven’t reshot the video yet though, so it’s harder to change.
Rachel says
Hi Laura
I’m from New Zealand too and I am finding it hard to get a rise from the muffins. Did you adjust the recipe at all please? I know that with the avocado mayo I need to use 2 eggs instead of just one. Thanks!
Fran says
Hey how long do you bake the eggs and sausage mixture? I missed the time in the video above.
Thanks
Fran
Becky Pottinger says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it as described 3-4 times, but then I turned it into a English Muffin Bread recipe. And I’ve made it with some variations: Cinnamon raising English Muffin Bread where I add 1 T cinnamon and 1/2 cup raisins; Chocolate English Muffin Bread where I add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/8 – 1/4 cup water; Chocolate Chip English Muffin Bread where I add 1/4 cup chocolate chips; Blueberry English Muffin Bread where I add 1/4 cup blueberries; and I’m about to try Pumpkin Spice English Muffin bread where I’ll just add 1 T of pumpkin spice.
Melanie says
What temp did you bake the bread at and for how long?
Becky says
375 degrees F for 35 minutes
Laura says
Wow! Made these on the bbq hot plate as it cooked all twelve. We’re currently family 5 at a beach house with only sea access. Such a useful recipe, thank you so much and happy Christmas from sunny New Zealand!
Betsy says
Can I just cook these in the oven? If son for how long and at what temperature? Will high altitude effect this and other sourdough recipes? Thanks!
Marian says
I made the sourdough English muffins. My dough was not as thick as yours. Followed the recipe let sit for 24 hours. More like pancake mix. What do I need to do differently?
Holly says
These are so great! I just had 2 questions:
1) is it normal to have a hard “crust” on the top after a 12 hour fermentation? I do, but just mix it in and go about making the muffins.
2) Is it normal, during ferment, for the dough to rise then sink or am I doing something wrong?
either way, these still turned out amazing! I just wanted to fine tune a bit 🙂
Shoshana says
Hi, thanks so much for teaching me about sauerkraut and sourdough!!
I tried this today, in the oven (I don’t havecastiron skillet).
I had to add a cup of flour, maybe more. Just kept adding till it was stiff enough to roll into balls.
Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 100celcius, then turned up to 230c for 15 minutes. I didn’t flip them.
they came out perfectly!
Dorothea says
This was so tasty!! I don’t have a cast iron skillet (yet) but used my stainless steel pan (well preheated).
The English muffins were wonderfully airy and moist, with that irresistible fried, crunchy crust. So delicious. Thank you for this great recipe!
Dorothea says
Loved these muffins! I don’t have a cast iron pan but they worked fine in my (well preheated) stainless steel pan. I kind of figured out over time how to make the pan work without sticking, preheating for a long time was key. So yummy, airy and tender, with an irresistible crunchy crust. Perfect with butter and honey this morning and some coffee. My favorite sourdough recipe so far! 🙂
Shari says
Just made these and I am pretty happy. I read the comments before cooking these, so I had a couple of changes/ideas ready. First, I didn’t want free form because I wanted them a little thicker, so I bought food rings. Also, someone had stated that their batter was thin. Mine did thin up during the “fermentation “ process. Not runny but definitely soft. So, I added more flour right before cooking. Still soft but I spooned it out into metal food rings I thoroughly sprayed. These I was using to help guarantee thicker muffins. I tested 2 z of dough/batter. Then went to 1 1/2 z for the next 4 and then made some free form. In the end, I am happy with the flavor of these, my starter is still young (only a couple of weeks). They rose pretty well. Just a couple of cooking tweaks next time! Have fun with these 😊
Michelle says
These things are sooo GOOD!!!! My husband is so happy to have a good bread alternative!! Would anyone happen to know or point me in the direction to find the nutritional information for these? Thanks😊
Kathleen Stewart says
Hi Lisa- I’m having a hard time mixing in the honey the next morning. I stirred vigorously for a few minutes, but no luck. Could I put it in the night before? Thank you!
Christine says
I made these last night, they were so good and easy! I’m so excited to have an easier alternative to making sourdough bread! Love all your recipes!
Helen says
I am new to sourdough cooking, but am enjoying the journey. I have made these English muffins a few times now, and mine never seem to get very thick. They kind of look like a thick pancake. My mixture looks a bit thinner than yours. I am wondering if I need to add a bit more flour or less water making the dough that sits over night? I have the temp on the lowest setting on my stove. The ones I have made have gotten cooked through and through, but they are difficult to slice because of their thin size. Any tips?
Tara Edwards says
is the honey required for the “chemistry” oris it just for flavor? Can I leave it out?
Annie says
Any recipes for English muffins for someone who doesn’t have a sour dough starter going yet??
Demi says
Hey there! I’ve tried several of your recipes, this one included, and they have quickly become family favorites! I noticed some people were saying this recipe gave them a runny or sticky dough. Just a thought (I am by no means an expert), but since I have started my sourdough journey I have noticed that when baking any recipe with einkorn flour, the dough tends to come out stickier or wetter than usual. I did some research and learned that einkorn usually requires about 1/3 cup less liquid when used in any “normal” flour recipe (and not more flour as that will change the texture, according to my sources). When I use normal organic bread flour, these babies turn out great– with the einkorn, it tends to need less liquid. Have you had this same experience? I’m just curious because I’ve had to learn how to work einkorn and I’d love any tips! Also, hope this is helpful to any readers out there! 🙂
Samantha says
I also used my einkorn starter and got more of a pancake 😂 will use less water to start next time and hope it works! Maybe edit the recipe for those in the future? Love your stuff as always Lisa!
Nicole says
I just love watching your “what we eat in a week” videos, and it was so helpful to watch you make these by just scooping the wet dough in to the pan! Because of this I didn’t even read the instructions past the ingredients list or watch the video with the recipe, but I see alot of people saying their dough was super wet and I wonder if maybe knowing to just scoop the dough directly into the pan would be helpful?
These turned out great for me and I really appreciate your approach to sourdough baking! It is so easy to get lost with all of the information out there, but you have a way of making things so relaxed, simple and enjoyable! Having lots of fun in the kitchen again after being inspired by your videos, thank you for all that you put out there!
Chris Lara minardi says
When dropping them on the skillet, is this ungreased? Thank you!
Stacey Smith says
Love this website! Making your sourdough crackers and fortchia bread today. Doing the full 24 hours on the bread since its a cold spell this week in Mississippi.
Jessica Henman says
Hi Lisa! Just made these and wowza they are amazing. Definitely going to be a family favorite. As easy as pancakes to make but love the crisp outside and no need for syrup.
Amy Winters says
Oh my goodness! Your blog is my go-to for sourdough recipes and this one is wonderful! This is going to be repeated at our house!
Loni says
Trying these right now. I’m using whole wheat einkorn flour. I tried to get a thicker dough by adding a little more flour and a little less water but as soon as I dropped them in the pan they spread out really wide. They look like huge thick pancakes. I’m sure they’ll taste good though. We’ll see….
Ellyse says
Mine do this too. Not sure how to get them to rise better. I did keep the heat turned up to 3 for the first minute or two I put them on and then turned down to low for the remainder of the time. That seemed to help some but they’re still pretty flat 🥴
Marcy Grote says
Remember, einkorn has less gluten (high level summary) than regular flour. Without adding gluten (vital wheat gluten) to your batter/dough, then puffier muffins will not be achieved. I use ap flour for this recipe and if anything, these muffins puff up so high it makes it difficult to put a lid on the skillet, which I prefer to do.
Sarah McColm says
In your recipe you mention that the dough will be pretty thick. Mine has never been thick, it’s always quite sticky and runny. What could be happening with mine?
Neysa says
Hi Lisa,
I’m new to the sourdough world, but I love it. I tried the pancakes and they’re awesome. Now today I tried doing the English muffins and they are not so good, for some reason my dough was very soft not as firm like you show on the video. I did exactly the same measurements and I had it out for almost 24 hours. They started to spread like a pancakes when they were put into the skillet. I don’t know what I did wrong.
Noelle says
These are heavenly! So easy to make too! I’ve been using Ezekiel sprouted English muffins for my husband’s frozen breakfast sandwiches. I will be switching to these now!
Jenn Dawson says
These are so good!
Casey says
I have made these dozens of times now because we love them. I have to tell you though the added cup of flour is a no go. I had this recipe memorized and then I was like oh I guess I’ve been doing it wrong when I looked here again and added more flour for a couple of batches, then I saw your note about editing it. My starter is healthy and it makes them way too thick with the extra flour, like 2-3 inches thick. They were perfect before. I think the extra cup should be listed as an option instead of a rule. I’m not trying to be critical, rather encourage you that your original recipe was correct! Thanks in any case for this delicious recipe. I double the recipe and keep them as a constant staple in our house for breakfast. My husband and I love them.
Michelle says
I agree with you! I loved them as they were.
Lorna says
Great recipe, For a twist I added raisins and cinnamon, Wow! I accidentally dumped what I thought was too may raisins but turned out perfect.
Ruth Moore says
Hi Lisa
I have made these numerous times and they are delicious. I have never made a recipe of yours that I have not liked. I have used different store bought flours to make the various sourdough recipes.
I have recently purchased a grain mill and would like your opinion on what berries you would recommend buying. I pretty much make everything with sourdough. I also have a gluten free sour dough because I have several friends and family members that are gluten intolerant. Do you have any recommendations on the grains to make the various sourdough recipes with fresh stone ground flours.
Thanks so much and Happy Thanks Giving to you and your Family
Allyson Jarvis says
I made these yesterday. They turned out to be as easy and delicious as you claimed. I cooked the on my electric griddle and finished them in a slow oven. They rose and browned beautifully. The dough was easy to handle with wet fingers. Thanks for another wonderful use for my sourdough starter.
Michelle says
What a great idea cooking them on the electric griddle. It can certainly accommodate more english muffins than my cast iron skillet.
Sanne says
These were delicious with whole wheat spelt and organic apple butter 😍. Thank you for this amazing staple! Will definitely be making again.
Sheree says
The cooking instructions still say 2 cups of flour instead of 2.5 cups. Since I’d read the whole thing, I knew which was the correct amount and why it was changed. But mention it because it could be confusing.
I covered the bowl with plastic wrap, but it developed a skin that didn’t break down completely when I mixed in the rest of the ingredients. Would a wet tea towel be a better option?
My dough was really sticky, so spooning was a bit tricky. Hard to get equal proportions. Should I have added yet more flour?
That said, they came out really well. I did have to finish them in the oven and I noticed they got tough once they cooled. But definitely a recipe to try again.
Janice Black says
I noticed that, too, about the instructions still saying 2 cups. Definitely needs to be updated. Loved the recipe, though . . . so far I’ve made it once with the quick-rise method and regular flour, and once with the “no soda” variation and whole wheat. Both were delicious!
Janice Black says
Maybe it should say 2 to 2 1/2, since apparently one amount works better for some people and the other works better for others. 🙂
Danielle says
These English muffins have been a regular rotation sourdough item in our family for over a year now. Hard to beat this recipe. So easy, quick to make, and they taste good sweet or savory. You gotta make these if you haven’t yet!
Angela Galligan says
I mean wow. This is absolutely delicious. I learn so much from your blog and videos my gosh, you’re a blessing to this family trying to eat healthier. This was easy to make and so so so good. Thank you for sharing with all of us.
R.Childs says
Hello! I tried this recipe over the weekend. I ended up adding more flour when adding the baking soda, salt, and honey because it was too liquidy.
They seemed to be pretty perfect, but the next day, I noticed the sides had turned grey in color!! What could be causing this? Please help if you know?
Angela Dale says
I had the same question! Mine turned grey on the sides as well. Does anyone know why? Thank you 🙂
Christine Duffy says
Lisa thank you so much, you are such an inspiration. I have been growing my starter now for about 2 weeks and really wanted to try this recipe. So got up early this morning as mix had been fermenting over night and so excited to get going. Everything was looking good and silly me so excited put tablespoon of salt and bread soda in!!! Didn’t realise til they were cooked, but tbh, with plenty of jam you can hardly notice and they have more of soda bread(I’m Irish) taste. I am in my 60’s and baking all my life but this is my first sourdough, thanks to your no-nonsense and intuitive approach. Love what you are doing. Blessings to you and yours. C
Judy B says
Can you make the English Muffins without a cast iron pan?
Judy
jERRY lOFSTEAD says
yES, a STAINLESS STEEL PAN WITH A HEAVY ALUMINUM PLATE ON THE BOTTOM WORKS WELL. iT WILL NOT WORK ON THIN INEXPENSIVE ss PAN.
A.B. says
There were so easy and good! We loved them and they turned out perfectly. I used fresh milled hard white wheat for the flour.
NAOMI COLLINS says
This recipe – it’s perfect!
Our house has had them non stop for the last 2weeks and still not sick of them.
To change it up a little I rolled them in fine corn meal before I fried them for a more authentic take. Mmmmmm!
Love your channel and blog,
Just wanted to let you know that you’ve inspired my new take on life.
Being a stay at home mummy myself I love your refreshing spirit when it comes to the way you find purpose in raising up your children, keeping your home, and providing for your family with your husband.
The world rushes on and us mums can find it hard to find pleasure in the routine care and daily slog of taking care of our family and home. Not enough love and contentment is placed in these things.
So I just want to say thank you. Watching your chanel makes me feel so much more in love with doing the things I’ve always found pleasurable but there were so many other opinions like “you’d make so much more money in the buisness world”. We serve God – not mammon!
May the Lord continue to shine through you in your journey and know that your humanity is simply refreshing and humbling.
Naomi (New Zealand)
Jessica says
So I have been using your recipe, but using all fresh ground flour, I am not getting good rise and I am getting flat dense hockey pucks LOL any advice?
Linnea says
Lisa, Thank you so much for putting your recipes into the world. Your most recent sourdough video resonated with me because I have a really hard time wanting to make new recipes with all the exact measuring. I love that you break it down for your viewers but ultimately you eyeball measurements. I always wondered if I was the only one – I knew I couldn’t be lol! I’ve never been close to my grandparents to learn anything from them, but I could only imagine early, simple recipes were made of eyeballing and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. You have to follow your instincts when cooking if a recipe isn’t looking right. Sourdough is something that is different for everyone. Some may be more dry or wet and you have to think of that when trying to get certain consistencies. This was my first try making anything with my starter and I am so excited to learn more. These English Muffins are DELICIOUS. So much better than normal English Muffins!
Lizzi says
I received my sourdough starter from my aunt last week. So far I have made your discard crackers, pancakes and this morning I made these English muffins.
THANK YOU
You’re the reason I felt I could attempt sourdough after 2 years researching and still having a healthy dose of fear… your video on 2 weeks in the life of your starter pushed me over the edge.
Shawna says
Wondering if you have a suggestion for flour to make this gluten free? Just a switch out to gluten free flour or a mix of various flours. Thank you in advance!
AJ says
I wonder if you have tried this recipe yet? I made it this morning with my GF starter, I added a flour blend that is high in beans, I really wasn’t sure how it would taste but I forgot that was what I had in my jar until I smelled the dough! They turned out great!
Michelle says
When I have made them, they always turned out great! They were never flat like pancakes. I hope this recipe works out for tomorrow morning. Yum!
Misty says
Lisa, This recipe turns out perfect every time, and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing. We are new to sourdough starter, and my family loves it! Dough is just the right consistency, and never sticks to my cast iron!
Misty says
Lisa, Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m new to sourdough, and this recipe turns out perfect every time! My dough is always the prefect consistency. They cook so well, and never stick to the pre-heated cast-iron skillet. My family loves these english muffins.
Nancy E says
Question: One time they had a weird bitter taste. Is that from not mixing in the baking soda enough or from fermenting too long (24 hours)?
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now and love it.
Tip: I wanted to see if I could make it easier on myself by baking these in the oven and they turned out great! I covered a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprayed the parchment with some avocado oil. After scooping out the dough (using a large cookie dough scoop), I sprayed the tops with oil too. Baked until golden brown for about 10-15 minutes. The shape is a little different (slightly domed instead of flat tops) but they are still delicious and less greasy. I was kind of using a lot of coconut oil to fry them since my cast iron tends to stick. I even forgot to spray the top of the dough on the last batch so they were not shiny golden but still delicious!!! I love eating them slathered with cream cheese and jam – HEAVEN!!!
Samantha says
These were great!!!Next time I will use a bit less baking soda as I am not a big fan of the taste.
Taryn says
I wasn’t able to leave a comment in my review, weird. I wanted to say that I’ve made these 3 times now, and they always turn out great! The last batch I made I doubled the recipe but removed 1 cup of flour, I also let it ferment a little longer, and oh baby were they soft and fluffy!!!
I’ve also made your crackers and people love them, I’ve been told I should make and sell them at the farmers market!
Still working on the no-nead loaf. I can never get it to NOT stick to my tea towel, no matter how long I let it develop a skin or how much I dust the towel with flour.
I also tried your cinnamon buns and they simply didn’t rise. The ambient temperature was about 70 so I have no idea what happened. Is it supposed to be a more firm dough? I will try again.
Melanie says
Hello Lisa,
Thank you for sharing “your way” to keep a starter. I’ve been basically “waste free” since starting it three months ago 🙂 I think the longest I’ve let it go in the fridge is 2 weeks. I pour off the liquid, feed and you’re correct, it keeps going fine!
I’ve successfully made your pancakes and biscuits. I’m pretty experienced with breads, so I thought “How bad could english muffins be?” Well…I echo what the others said, it’s just too liquidy the next day. When I mixed the night before, my instinct was it was too liquidy, but thought perhaps it would come together more with the rise. Mine had tripled in size by the morning-GREAT! But, too liquidy. I didn’t want to defeat the purpose by just adding more flour, but we ended up slowly adding in 1 cup, and it still wasn’t enough. So, next time I’m going to try 3 1/2 cups of flour initially. I will say, even though I “poured” it into the iron skillet, they did rise ok, and tasted great. They just didn’t have that perfect round look.
LASTLY: I have a question about your nutritional info. I am trying to follow a low-carb/keto way of eating except for one day a week. When I figured 285 carbs in 3 cups of flour…divided by 12 muffins, I only get about 24 mg/muffin. I’m also hoping that some of those carbs got eaten by the starter!haha! Could you let us know how you figured your carbs? Many thanks!
Melanie says
Another question: Why do you not go ahead and add the honey/baking soda the night before, as if it’s a bread that’s totally mixed and rising? I understand salt can deter the rise, but I thought the starter would use the honey, too?
Cortney says
These look so good! Trying them this morning. My dough is super sticky and hard to work. No matter how much flour I add. Any suggestions?
Katherine says
First off these are a staple in my house now. They are amazing!! So so so good. They are good as cheeseburger buns and pb and j!
However my sister in law didn’t have as good results and followed this recipe and I followed your sourdough ebook recipe. This one calls for 2 1/2 of flour and the ebook calls for 2 cups of flour. I didn’t know if you knew they were different. My results with the 2 cups is SUPERB!
melanie ALEXANDER says
I have a dry starter ( shaye elliott’s recipe) and I’m very new to sour dough so can you tell me how or what changes I need to make to your recipe? Thanks so much!
Tara says
I made these and they were a huge hit with all 7 kiddoes, hubby too!
I wonder how buttermilk would taste in the recipe, I’m always looking for ways to use it up!
Kecia says
Lisa, you inspired me to begin using sourdough starter. I love this recipe and use it every week. These are good as hamburger buns, toast with butter,jelly or cream cheese. I usually leave 3 on covered cake plate put a few in refrigerator and freeze the rest. Out of the freezer I just allow to thaw or microwave for 20 seconds, slice and toast.
Thank you for sharing your recipes and knowledge with us.
Amy says
Lisa, I’m so excited about this recipe! I LOVE English muffins from the store, but I’m sure homemade ones will be so much better. And sourdough?? My, my. Pinnacle of goodness, I’m sure! Can’t wait to see how mine turn out. Thanks for another super easy sourdough recipe!
Laura says
Hi there 🙂 the ingredients list 2 and 1/2 cups flour, but in the directions you state to use just 2 cups. (?) Please confirm which is more successful? Thanks in advance
M says
This recipe does not match up with the instructions that you layout in the post….please make them match….
Emmiline says
Hi Lisa! Just wanted to say I tried your english muffins for the first time this week and they are so good. Started listening to your podcast recently and your no-fuss approach to sourdough starter has really helped me to not overthink it and just use my intuition to know what it needs. I have just started my sourdough journey and am really enjoying experimenting and creating. I pulled my starter out of the back of the fridge where it had sat for 9 months after a failed attempt to launch last year and revived it (totally figured it would be dead) and it is so vibrant and happy. Thanks again!
Amber says
How do you store your English muffins? I usually put mine in a sealed bag but I’ve noticed within a day or two the muffins have dark spots that resemble mold? I’m not sure if it’s just the way the muffins are or if it’s actually mold.
Shaylie says
LOVE this recipe and so does everyone I give these to! Such an easy sourdough recipe! Great to get started with sourdough.
I used freshly milled flour now and it works great with these measurements- I just typically end up adding a little bit more flour after it has fermented so they don’t turn out like flat pancakes! Adding that little extra has made a big difference in the rise.
Anonymous says
Lisa! Thank you so much. I made your sourdough english muffins. 🙈I’m not sure how to attached the photo but this was my second time. I’m a new mom of twins and you are such a blessing to my household.
Danielle says
These were AMAZING!!! So simple, fun to make, and of course delish! I used my 100% einkorn sourdough starter (about 4 weeks old) and organic all purpose flour. I did have to add a bit of flour at the end to help the texture thicken a bit, but they rose over an inch and cooked beautifully. I did place them in a warm oven for about 10 minutes to ensure the middle was done. They were chewy, airy, and even had the butter melt through just like a store bought English muffin. These are the real deal and will keep us from buying store bought ever again! I hope that these turn out as well with einkorn flour instead of all purpose, since we are slowly making the switch to all einkorn. If not, I just may have to keep some all purpose on hand just for these! Thanks again!! Rockstar recipe.
Jen says
These turned out perfect!
Tarrie says
So, I love these. But why not bake them? Would they turn out the same?
Annie says
Take note that the amount of flour in the recipe does not match the amount in the instructions. The amount in the instructions yields a runny dough with a batter like consistency. I added more flour eventually but was it remained very difficult to work with-super sticky. Tasty results nonetheless!
Rachel says
Do you have any tips for equally dividing the dough when using the baking soda method? I find the other method easier because I can just roll out the dough and cut with a mason jar, but I don’t like how some of the dough is wasted. With the baking soda method, the dough is so sticky that I don’t dare put it on my counter to divide it up (and that’s even after adding an extra 1/2 cup of flour). I tried just grabbing handfuls of it straight out of the bowl and ended up with 7 massive English muffins. Help!
Lisa says
That is how I usually do it. Just try to make them smaller and even as best you can. You could also maybe use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup and scoop out and place it on the skillet like you would muffin batter. Hope that helps.
Amanda says
So easy and so delicious. I wasn’t sure how much to really expect from these, but I’ll be making them regularly from now on.
Lisa says
I love how easy they are. Glad you enjoy them as well.
Amy Andries says
So the recipe calls for fed sourdough starter. Does that mean that you pull the starter out of the fridge 24 hours in advance(like you mentioned in your sourdough starter recipe) of making the recipe and feed it, then it sits on the counter till you make the muffin dough, which sits on the counter till the next morning?
Lisa says
I consider it fed when it is bubbly and active, usually 4-12 hours after it is fed and at room temp.
Nichola says
Thank you for this great recipe and instructions. I have made English muffins in the past and never been happy. So pleased with my big batch of muffins. (I made 4x the recipe to feed my big family) Ready for Sunday morning breakfast!
Lisa says
Wonderful! Hope your family enjoys!
Melissa says
I wanted to leave this comment in case it helps someone else. I have made these several times now cause their sooooo delicious and every time they have turned out perfect, except last time. The only thing I did different was to put plastic wrap to cover the bowl instead of a towel because I didn’t like the hard crust that was forming on the top of my loaf but I think now maybe that is the key. My dough rose way more w the plastic wrap overnight causing it to be a lot wetter and loose than normal and they ended up spreading like pancakes. So from now on I’ll still to just the towel for the overnight rise. Hope that helps someone.
Kelly Land says
Hi there. Noticed the added flour isn’t added to the recipe directions, just as a heads up.
I so appreciate your recipes and this is my absolute hands fown favorite! How do I use einkorn for this instead of regular flour?
Thank you again and god bless.
Kelly
MICHELLE says
Hi,
Michelle here from Australia. I love your recipes! 🙂
I would love it if you could put the gram measurements because our cup size here in Australia is different to the usa one.
Michelle 🙂
Lisa says
Hi Michelle! I didn’t realize the measurements were different, so interesting. I’m trying to add more grams. I created this baking conversion chart that should help with converting into grams.
Jessica says
I have made these using all purpose and they turned out great. How will it change if I switch and use white whole wheat instead?
Lisa says
It may be a little denser and may need a tad more water if the dough seems too dry. You could also try using half whole wheat and half all-purpose.
K.S. from KS says
Why do these recipes always have you mix in baking soda after the 24 hr period? You lose out on the wonderful bubbles from the sourdough ferment. Also the dough is way too thick to properly take on baking soda. I usually just mix it all in all at once. I also started having much better luck when I mix it up, let it sit for an hour, then immediately shape it into loaves or English muffins or bagels or whatever and then let it sit 12-24 hours to rise. Before that I was killing the beautiful rise by punching down and reshaping or mixing in some random ingredient at the end.
Lisa says
I’ve always thought the rise wouldn’t be as good if the baking soda and baking powder was added and then allowed to sit. You don’t feel like that is the case though?
Rebecca Arnott says
Hello Lisa! I love all the sourdough recipes! Sandwich bread and English muffins are my faves! I think I am getting the hang of it. One suggestion, could you make a sourdough book with other people’s pictures of their sourdough in it? Plus all questions you can do think of plus answers after each question? I am older and have a hard time finding what I need to know on the site. Seems like I have to spend lots of time finding answers. I also had a sourdough mold when I first started. Had a couple things not rise cause I didn’t understand that you had to feed starter after taking it out of fridge. Maybe add different scenarios also. It is a learning process, but I love it!
Amy Coats says
Lisa, thank you so much for your gift of teaching! I have learned so much from you and I am having so much fun with my starter. Our daughter has a gluten sensitivity and can eat my sourdough. I haven’t mastered the artisan loaf yet, but I can rock the bagels, sandwich loaves, English muffins, pancakes, pizza crusts and flatbreads!!
Lisa says
Wow that is wonderful! Keep up the good work. Happy baking.
Leah Glick says
Even though I screwed the recipe up by putting the honey with the ferment (too sticky), then leaving out the salt and doing almost everything wrong with this recipe, they still did well for me!
I used bacon fat, as that was what I had. Didn’t have cornmeal, so left that out, but will do next time.
I ate one warm, with ranch powder on it to hide the blandness. Excellent though way too big. (My fault.)
Definitely making again, but following the recipe to a T.
Lisa says
I’m glad it still worked for you. And ranch powder sounds yummy!
Anonymous says
Hello! I’m sorry, I’m really confused by this recipe. If I cover the dough with a towel, won’t it get crusty on top? Second, the instructions say to preheat the cast iron on low then turn down it down to low. Thank you!
Lisa says
You can use a wet towel to prevent this or a bowl with a lid. Sorry. Preheat on high and then turn down to low.
Anonymous says
These turned out like biscuits, not English muffins. This is the second recipe I’ve made that the actual recipe is completely different from what the blog says to do. Very confusing!
Lisa says
I’m so sorry that you are having issues with these. I’ve actually changed it a bit, but wanted to keep the original way as well so others still had access to it.
Allyson says
Could you cook these in the oven instead of a cast iron skillet?
Lisa says
Yes!
Meagan says
I have a Potato-Flake Sourdough starter, will this recipe work? Or do I need to alter some of the measurements? Thanks for your help!
Lisa says
I would think it would work, but I have never tried it. The amount of water may need to be adjusted based on how thick the starter is.
Samantha D says
This recipe was so good!! My husband and I ate two right away. I do have some adjustments to make: need my starter to be more active, more flour, and then I need to adjust for my awful stove. Can’t wait until I perfect them!
Carol says
Have you made these with all einkorn flour?
Lisa says
I have not. I have a recipe for einkorn biscuits which is probably the most similar. The recipe will need to be adjusted a bit to make it work for einkorn (less liquid).
Jasmine says
The English muffins are delicious! I split the batch in 2. The first batch was like pancakes. So, I added a ton more flour. I used spelt. So, I guess it needs more. With both batches, they needed to go into the oven. I did 300° for 20 min. The 2nd batch still didn’t look like English muffins, but that’s okay. Next time, I’m sure they’ll be perfect! So good!
Melanie says
This also works well with a gluten free starter and Bob’s Redmill 1-1 baking mix! Though mine burned at medium low in the cast iron for the first batch so I kept it on low for the second and they came out great! (And the fire alarm didn’t go off! 😉)
Lisa says
That’s great to know! Thank you for sharing!
Holly says
The text recipe doesn’t match the easy print version. I am not sure whether to do a one hour rise or not. Perhaps this could be separated into two separate posts? It is unclear the way it is.
Lisa says
You can skip the second rise as long as you add in the baking soda. Alternatively, you can do no baking soda and allow them to rise for an hour after dividing/shaping, before cooking. The easy print instructions include baking soda. The other instructions are in the blog post. Hope that helps!
Launa says
Just made my first batch; they were awesome and so easy. Handling the dough to shape them had a great texture! I read through several comments before I made them. The updated list of ingredients says 2 1/2 cups flour, but the instructions says 2 cups. Perhaps the challenge that some have had with shaggy dough is that cup/spoon measuring is less accurate than using weight. My bag of flour says that 1 cup flour = 120g, but every time I weigh it, it came to 145g. Different brands and flour types can vary greatly as can sifted vs scooped when measured by volume, but weight remains constant. Instead of getting the pan hot and reducing the heat, I simply used cornmeal on both sides and had no issues with them sticking to the pan. Thanks for sharing…will be making them again.
Lisa says
Thank you for catching that! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sydnie says
Hi Lisa! I came to your blog from YouTube! I’m wanting to make this recipe tonight and was just wondering if it matters if my sourdough starter I have is made with wheat flour? Also my house stays pretty cool, especially right now in February but I usually put my yeast bread on my stove top after I’ve pre heated it and turned it off to give it a warm place to rise. Would that work for this too?
Lisa says
I have done this with wheat flour. Totally fine! Also, yes, I put mine on top of my stove too in the winter.
Cara says
Hello, for the English muffins, where you say to use fed, sourdough starter, is that the discard I have in the fridge From my original starter? (I’m new to sourdough!)
Lisa says
It would be the original sourdough starter that you feed equal parts water and flour and then allow it to sit a few hours so it can get nice and bubbly. Hope that helps.
Kay says
This was the easiest sourdough bread recipe ever. Came out perfect!
Lisa says
So glad!! Have a wonderful day!
Jill says
In the notes you mention a second rise but I don’t see anything in the instructions about that. Also my dough seemed fine until I incorporated sweetener. After that it got really sticky and difficult to work with (stiff). I haven’t baked them off yet so fingers crossed they turn out ok!
Jill says
I just went back up and realized you probably meant the 10 minute pause while heating the cast iron
Anonymous says
I just realized the second rise is probably the 10 minutes during pan warm up
LaDawn says
All the recipes that I’ve tried from you have been amazing! English muffins are the favorite so far! Do you have a recommendation for high altitude though, mine don’t rise as much as I’d like them to. Thanks so much for all you do, we appreciate and love your videos!💜👍🏼
Lisa says
Yay that is so wonderful to hear. I’ve never had to adjust for that, but this article from Cultures For Health looks like it could help : https://culturesforhealth.com/blogs/learn/sourdough-how-altitude-affects-sourdough-baking
Patti Godot says
I made this recipe. It would be great if you indicated how thick the muffins should be when they go into the pan. Mine took quite a bit longer than called for and even then were not done in the middle. I put them in a 250 oven for 10 minutes, then cut them open and they still were not done. I toasted them under a broiler to finish cooking.
Other than that, I loved the recipe. Thank you.
Shaylie says
Love love love this recipe!! I make it twice a week typically because everyone in my family wants some😂 I don’t quite have my timing down with my starter, it’s all over the place between 4 hours and 13 hours to rise!! So sometimes I’m having to stay up late into the night to wait for ferment to finish so I can thrown them on the cast iron before the over ferment. Wondering if I can make my life easier and put the dough in the fridge overnight like your bread recipe so I can bake them in the morning instead? I assume I will need to let it warm back up and rise before adding the soda, salt and honey? Thanks for your help!!
Julianne says
This were fun to make and tasted so good as a breakfast sandwich! How should I store them for later since we can’t eat them all in one day?
Lisa says
So glad you enjoyed them! I would store in an air tight container. They would probably be fine for a day or two at room temperature, but keeping them in the fridge will help them stay better longer. You can also freeze these as well.
Lori says
Hi! I love this recipe! The muffins turned out delicious, however, the middle outside edges of the muffins have an odd gray color about 12 hours after baking. I’ve noticed this with sourdough pancake batter also, if it sits out in the bowl for a while before cleaning it. Is this a bad thing? Would the muffins be fine to eat despite the odd color? Thank you!
Lisa says
Hmmm that is very strange. I’ve never had that happen. Hmm. Are they baked long enough? What type of flour are you using?
Lisa says
My muffins had a similar dark dray appearance the following day…they still tasted fine
Klarise says
Another great recipe !
I made it with 2 cups without reading that you increased it, I just added the additional flour while rolling out the dough and it was perfect! These are delicious and the best I’ve ever tasted!
Lisa says
So glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Bauer says
Thank you for all your lessons for sour dough starter. They are well done & easy to follow. I am anxious to get mine and then try your English muffin recipe.
Lisa says
So glad I could help! Good luck on all your sourdough baking.
Madison says
If doing the version with baking soda, can I still roll the dough and use a biscuit cutter to get perfect circles?
Lisa says
Yes!
Bernadette says
Have you prepped these before and then frozen them?
Lisa says
Yes. I’ve made a really large batch before. Cooked them and froze them. They freeze great.
Mackenzie says
I’ve made these twice so far and they are incredible. I have been craving English muffins and can’t get myself to buy them, I always say “I can make them myself.” These are far better than any store bought one and I feel good eating them too because they don’t sit as heavy! Thank you for such a great easy recipe!
Lisa says
So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Mary says
Love the recipe! Quick question though..after about 2 days mine turn gray on some parts and it almost reminds me of the “hooch” that happens on Sourdough starter when you don’t feed it. Has that ever happened to you and do you still eat them with the grayish hue on them?
Lisa says
Strange! I have not experienced that.
Anonymous says
Okay, thank you for the reply to my post anyway. How long do you (or could you) let these sit on your counter? Wondering if it has something to do with storing them in the fridge.
I really love these and will continue to make them, I just hate throwing away what we can’t eat up quickly enough!
Lisa says
These should be okay in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temp. You can also freeze these to last a bit longer, if you’d like. Hope that helps!
Klarise says
I’m commenting again because I tried the no baking soda recipe and wanted to comment on how much stronger the sourdough flavor is in that version and wow! I was really impressed by how well they puffed up on their own! I will be alternating the two versions from now on!
Wendy Schermerhorn says
I have made these 5 times. And I finally got them to turn out like the photos. I noticed that the ingredient list says 2 1/2 cups of flour but the directions call for adding 2 cups the night before and never say when to add the remaining 1/2 cup. THis time I started with the 2 1/2 cups and they are great!
Lisa, do you gather and re-roll your scraps after cutting out your muffins?
Thanks so much for all your recipes – I love my sourdough and your recipes!
Lisa says
Thanks for pointing that out, I will check that. Yes, I do. Can’t let that dough go to waste. So glad you enjoy the recipes.
Anonymous says
I would like to try this, but it needs metric conversion. Bread recipes should be in grams for accuracy. Is there anyway you could post the weights? Thanks!
Lisa says
I’m working on adding grams to all my recipes. It just takes time to go through all of them. I usually use this chart if I am converting a recipe to grams: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/baking-conversion-chart Thanks for your patience!
Erin says
Do I need a cast iron skillet to make these?
Lisa says
A non-stick skillet that can go in the oven would also work.
L. Colton says
Thank you Lisa for all your recipes. I appreciate the greater simplicity of your sourdough recipes. Availability of Online too, as I have no room for more books. The suggestion to use almost any flour (with adjustments (e.g. water, etc.) allows for creativity, while using minimal sugar (honey) and no eggs or milk.
I tried your sourdough English Muffin recipe using 2c. of bread flour, understanding that the amended recipe added 1/2c flour. I divided the fermented dough in 1/4ths, suspecting that I would need to adjust – adding flour. On the stove in my preheated cast iron fry pan, the first 1/4 batch of 3 rose a little -dense. Added whole wheat to the next 1/4 of dough
then divided into 3 and cooked. These rose more – more tender crumm. I had preheated in the oven a dutch oven to 350, so also added flour to the other half of the dough, divided and cooked these in dutch oven. These rose the best and stayed moister. Steam?
(Forgot. I left lid on after flipping.)
Like your waffle recipe, I love this quick ‘drop’ English muffin recipe. Seems versatile. Would be interesting to make a quick bread with, like another commentor, but in the dutch oven or add buttermilk powder or barley syrup. etc. to add flavor.
Love that you added instructions for making without baking soda, teaching/showing the difference between traditional sour dough baking and practical sourdough baking. Thank you!!! I’m eager to make your other recipes.
Lisa says
I’m so happy you have found the instructions useful. Life is a little more interesting when we can be creative in the kitchen.
Tiffany says
Hi Lisa,
I am new to sourdough and I’m so thankful for you sharing your experience. You said you have had the same starter for 11 years, how often do you have to wash the container that it is in? Thank you
Lisa says
Really, just whenever they start to look gross.
Morgan says
Loving this recipe but I’m wondering if anyone knows how long we can store these after they’ve been cooked? Either on the counter, in the fridge or freezer?
Lisa says
On the counter for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Robin Hazeslip says
This recipe is easy to follow, minimal ingredients so easy to remember, and VERY versatile with use! My favorite way to eat, is toast and use instead of bun for hamburger! Makes it taste a bit like a patty-melt! Great as egg sandwiches too or just by themselves!
Lisa says
Great tip! Glad you like the recipe!
Sara W says
I’m using a Gluten free starter Bobs Red Mill 1-1 flour to make these. I used to make them no problem with regular starter and organic flour,but we had to move to GF for my daughter. Do you have any tips for getting a Gluten Free version to rise more? They turned out pretty flat.
Lisa says
I haven’t tried these with gluten free flour yet, so I can’t say for sure if there is a way to make them rise more. It can be typical, though, for gluten-free doughs not to rise as much.
Lauren A says
The dough felt fantastic. I think I may try the proportions minus the baking soda as a loaf of bread. Flavor was fantastic on these. Mine seemed too sticky to form into any sort of balls lol. I’m struggling getting the middles done but I’m going to adjust the heat and try again. They puffed up perfectly though. I just burned 2 typing this haha. Oh I added corn meal to the tops and bottoms to prevent sticking and it worked great.
Lisa says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Jayme says
How much flour would you add if you used all purpose Einkorn or freshly ground Eikorn?
Lisa says
You could do the same amount flour, you will just have add less liquid. I also have a recipe for einkorn biscuits: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/einkorn-biscuits
Veronica says
I know I haven’t given it my hardest try being this is only my third attempt at this recipe. I am having a really difficult time. The first batch came out like dense blobs with good flavor. The second batch looked the part but lacked the flavor of the first. I Don’t know what the difference was between the two batches besides, having added flour to the first batch, as it was extremely runny. Now this third batch is runny again. They are coming out as plan old pancakes that are getting progressively denser as I continue to add flour. I have not yet tried the recipe without baking soda. I guess that’s my next attempt. I’m new to sourdough but excited for experimenting. I was interested in your recipe because I have a dairy allergy and miss English muffins.
Lisa says
This is not an easy one to do! This is an old video, and I may have changed a few things here and there, but it may help guide you a bit: https://youtu.be/z7nXvvGPgXw?si=EUCeVc9BVKMUsdLz hope that helps! And good luck on the next round!
Crystal says
These are super yummy!
Quick question- do they need to be stored in the fridge?
Stephanie says
Hi! I am wondering if the recommendation is for 2 cups of flour or 2 1/2 cups? The ingredients list says 2 and the directions step by step say 2 1/2. Thanks!!
Lisa says
Good catch! I updated this recipe awhile back to add more flour, and must have missed that! See the notes section for info on the update.
Sarah says
I woke up early this morning, eager to make these for breakfast sandwiches for my family…
1st attempt: I almost burnt the house down and woke up all the nneighbors with ALL the smoke alarms going off from preheating my skillet…
2nd attempt (currently happening): My husband has already left for work, grabbed himself a breakfast bar and all my kids are begging for food, now also eating breakfast bars.
Looks like I’ll be enjoying all of these English muffins for myself and sharing them with my neighbors so that they don’t hate me! Hahahaha
Lisa says
Oh no hahah. Well I hope they are enjoyed by someone.
Lindsey says
I was so hopeful but mine didnt rise in the cast iron and burned. I will try and incorporate my good ol fathiful English Muffin recipe with my discard. This did not work out for me.
Lisa says
Oh no. So sorry to hear that.
Melissa says
I haven’t read all the comments but just noticed that your ingredient list says 2.5 cups of flour. In your instructions it says 2 cups. I followed instructions so I’ll find out really soon if mine flop.
Lisa says
This recipe was updated in October 2021 to add a bit more flour, after several readers commented that the English muffins were turning out more like pancakes. As with any recipe, the type of flour you use, as well as humidity and quality of the starter, will cause each batch to need slightly different amounts of flour.
As you get familiar with this recipe, you will know exactly how much flour is needed by feel. If your English muffins are turning out like pancakes, you definitely need more flour. They should not be flat.
Kelly Hinson says
Aesthetically they aren’t the most attractive thing I’ve ever made but the recipe did work as directed. It will take a few attempts to get the cooking technique down; I have a glass cooktop so it’s more difficult to control the temperature. Once I do I want try variations such as cinnamon raisin or blueberry or cranberry using dried fruit.