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 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!
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!
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!
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?
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!
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?
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.
These were great!!!Next time I will use a bit less baking soda as I am not a big fan of the taste.
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!!!
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.
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!