Soft, airy, and cooked on the stove top, these delicious sourdough English muffins begin with simple ingredients, an active starter, and a bit of fermentation time. With a crisp, structured exterior and a bubbly crumb full of sourdough flavor, use these muffins to build the perfect cheesy breakfast sandwiches or slather them with butter and jam for a filling snack.
Homemade sourdough English muffins change the game with their simplicity and versatility. Long-fermented and perfectly tangy, this easy recipe requires only pantry staples and an active starter with an overnight rise. The fermentation time not only adds better flavor, but also better digestion and a delicate, chewy crumb full of bubbly pockets that trap butter and homemade strawberry jam.
The flavor and structure of these muffins lend themselves perfectly to many different uses, such as savory sourdough breakfast sandwiches or even English muffin pizzas with homemade marinara and fresh mozzarella.
For more sourdough favorites, try these soft sourdough pancakes or waffles, sweet sourdough cinnamon rolls or coffee cake, or make a batch of sourdough biscuits or beignets. Making your own sourdough starter requires minimal ingredients and some patience, but the recipe opportunities are endless.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Sourdough flavor – Homemade English muffins have a savory, yeasty flavor, and sourdough fermentation adds a delicious tang that complements sweet or savory toppings.
Airy texture – Fermentation creates carbon dioxide, which builds up in the dough as bubbles. These bubbles cook in place, creating a crumb delicately arranged with the characteristic nooks and crannies that hold anything from jams and butters to melty cheeses and mashed avocado.
Versatile use – Use these for cheesy egg sandwiches, like eggs Benedict, or spread with soft butter and peach jelly, drizzle with honey and peanut butter, or pile them high with homemade chicken salad.
Ingredients
Flour – I use unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe. Fresh-milled wheat also works, but the liquids need to be adjusted to account for the high absorbency of fresh-milled flour.
Sourdough starter – Use a recently fed, active, and bubbly starter.
Water – You can use milk in place of the water, if desired.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (with baking soda)
Step 1: The day before you plan to cook the muffins, start with fermenting the grains. Add flour, water, and sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and mix well. Use an active sourdough starter that has been recently fed.
Step 2: Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. The fermentation process speeds up with warmer temperatures and slows with cooler temperatures. Where you place the bowl affects the timing.
Step 3: After the bulk fermentation, add honey, salt, and baking soda, stirring well.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut out circles using a biscuit cutter or a wide-mouth mason jar. Sprinkle the biscuits with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking while cooking (optional).
Step 5: Preheat your cast iron pan on medium heat until hot. Add some oil, then place the English muffins into the pan. Immediately reduce the heat to low so the dough has a chance to rise without the exterior burning.
Step 6: Cook until doubled in size, flipping only when the first side is golden. After flipping, increase the temperature a little so that the second side of the muffin cooks until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (without baking soda)
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a bowl (minus baking soda) and mix well. Let the dough 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.
Step 2: With the dough in the bowl, do one round of stretch and folds by grabbing one side of the ball of dough, stretching it upward, and then pressing it back into the center. Repeat with each side of the dough, for one complete round. Repeat the stretch and folds after 30 minutes, then set the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for 5-8 hours. The dough should double in size.
Step 3: After the fermentation, shape the muffins by rolling the dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut out circles using a biscuit cutter or a wide-mouth mason jar.
Step 4: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a little cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom (optional). Cover and rise again for about an hour in a warm place until doubled in size.
Step 5: Preheat your cast iron pan on medium heat. When the skillet is hot, oil the pan and add the English muffins. Immediately reduce the heat to low so the dough has a chance to rise without the exterior burning. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Flip once they are golden brown on the first side, then cook through until completely done – this usually takes another 5 minutes or so. Place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before slicing.
Tips
- Make sure the sourdough starter you are using is nice and active. This will give the dough those beautiful bubbles. Sourdough discard can be used if it was recently fed, but the rise time may need to be lengthened.
- The type of flour you use, as well as the 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.
- Fermentation time will depend on the temperature of your home. The cooler your home, the longer it will take for the dough to double. Placing the dough in a warm place will speed up the process significantly.
- You can skip the second rise as long as you use baking soda. Without baking soda, allow the shaped muffins to rise for about an hour, or until doubled, before baking.
- The skillet needs to be hot before adding the English muffin dough so it doesn’t stick, but then it needs to be quickly reduced so the dough has a chance to rise and cook through without burning. Monitor the color of the muffins closely so they don’t burn.
- Cook four at a time so they have space to expand, or they will stick together.
- Don’t try to flip the muffins until they come up easily from the pan. The goal is to only flip them one time.
- If they are browned on the outside, but still not done on the inside, put them in a 250 to 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so.
Recipe FAQs
Keep extra muffins in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 4-5 days. Freeze them for longer storage.
Yes! Fermentation breaks down phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that hinders absorption, making sourdough English muffins easier to digest, as well as a great source of fiber and B vitamins. Also, homemade English muffins have zero artificial ingredients or preservatives.
You can expect the characteristic yeasty, salty flavor and bubbly, chewy texture of traditional English muffins, with the main difference being a long-fermented sourdough tang.
During fermentation, the natural yeasts in sourdough produce carbon dioxide, which is trapped in the wet dough as bubbles. When handled carefully and cooked on the stovetop, these bubbles cook in place, producing that characteristic “nooks and crannies” crumb.
While sourdough discard can have great results, use a discard that has been fed in the last week or so, and be prepared to adjust the liquid and fermentation times. See my recipe created specifically for sourdough discard English muffins for further instructions.
More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Pizza Crust
- Sourdough Tortillas
- Sourdough Irish Soda Bread
- Easy Sourdough Flatbread
- Sourdough Cheddar Biscuits
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough English Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour, 350 grams
- 1 cup water, 236 grams
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter, 100 grams
- 1 tablespoon honey, 21 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt, 5 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, 5 grams, (optional, see notes)
- Cornmeal, optional
- Oil for cooking
Instructions
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (with baking soda)
- The day before you plan to cook the muffins, start with fermenting the grains. Add flour, water, and sourdough starter to a large bowl and mix well. Use an active sourdough starter that has been recently fed.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. The fermentation process speeds up with warmer temperatures and slows with cooler temperatures. Where you place the bowl affects the timing.
- After the bulk fermentation, add honey, salt, and baking soda, stirring well.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut out circles using a biscuit cutter or a wide-mouth mason jar. Sprinkle the muffins with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking while cooking (optional).
- Preheat your cast-iron skillet on medium heat until hot. Add some oil, then place the English muffins into the pan. Immediately reduce the heat to low so the dough has a chance to rise without the exterior burning.
- Cook until doubled in size, flipping only when the first side is golden. After flipping, increase the temperature a little so that the second side of the muffin cooks until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins (without baking soda)
- Add all ingredients to a bowl (minus baking soda) and mix well. Let the dough 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.
- With the dough in the bowl, do one round of stretch and folds by grabbing one side of the ball of dough, stretching it upward, and then pressing it back into the center. Repeat with each side of the dough, for one complete round. Repeat the stretch and folds after 30 minutes, then set the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for 5-8 hours. The dough should double in size.
- After the fermentation, shape the muffins by rolling the dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut out circles using a biscuit cutter or a wide-mouth mason jar.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a little cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom (optional). Cover and rise again for about an hour in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Preheat your cast-iron skillet on medium heat. When the skillet is hot, oil the pan and add the English muffins. Immediately reduce the heat to low so the dough has a chance to rise without the exterior burning. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Flip once they are golden brown on the first side, then cook through until completely done – this usually takes another 5 minutes or so. Place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Make sure the sourdough starter you are using is nice and active. This will give the dough those beautiful bubbles. Sourdough discard can be used if it was recently fed, but the rise time may need to be lengthened.
- The type of flour you use, as well as the 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.
- Fermentation time will depend on the temperature of your home. The cooler your home, the longer it will take for the dough to double. Placing the dough in a warm place will speed up the process significantly.
- If using baking soda, you can skip the second rise. Without baking soda, allow the shaped muffins to rise for about an hour, or until doubled, before baking.
- The skillet needs to be hot before adding the English muffin dough so it doesn’t stick, but then it needs to be quickly reduced so the dough has a chance to rise and cook through without burning. Monitor the color of the muffins closely so they don’t burn.
- Cook four at a time so they have space to expand, otherwise they may stick together.
- Don’t try to flip the muffins until they come up easily from the pan. The goal is to only flip them one time.
- If the muffins are browned on the outside, but still not done on the inside, put them in a 250 to 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
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!💜👍🏼
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
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!
I just went back up and realized you probably meant the 10 minute pause while heating the cast iron
I just realized the second rise is probably the 10 minutes during pan warm up
This was the easiest sourdough bread recipe ever. Came out perfect!
So glad!! Have a wonderful day!
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!)
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.
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?
I have done this with wheat flour. Totally fine! Also, yes, I put mine on top of my stove too in the winter.
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.
Thank you for catching that! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
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.
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!
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! 😉)
That’s great to know! Thank you for sharing!
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!