Sourdough Discard English Muffins

These overnight sourdough discard English muffins have the perfect crispy crust and soft and delicious crumbs. Simple steps to get the flat-topped breakfast English muffins that you can split open and lather with butter or jam or simply use as a base for your sandwiches. Sourdough discard gives them a perfect flavor and texture that you are bound to love.

English Muffins are a popular breakfast item in many English-speaking countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. They are made from a yeast-leavened dough that is typically enriched with ingredients such as milk, butter, and sometimes eggs, and they are cooked on a griddle or in a skillet, which gives them their unique appearance and texture.

But today we are going to make them using the sourdough starter discard. This is a no-yeast Sourdough discard English Muffins recipe.

Jump to:

• 🍞 Why try these easy sourdough discard English muffins?
• 🍶 Ingredients for sourdough discard English Muffins
• 🔪 Instructions to make sourdough discard English muffins
• 🍽How to serve English muffins?
• 🫙How to store English Muffins
• 💭Tips and tricks
• ❓Frequently Asked Questions
• 🥖More sourdough discard recipe
• 📝 Recipe Card
• Sourdough Discard English Muffins
• 📋Nutrition Facts

🍞 Why try these easy sourdough discard English muffins?

• It is a great way to use up sourdough discard and add a unique flavor to your breakfast.
  
• The texture of the crust. These English muffins have a perfectly crispy crust that is further affirmed by the crunchy corn meal.
  
• Delicious crumbs. These sourdough English Muffins have a mild hint of sourness that goes great with just butter or sweet toppings or anything else.
  
• These are so versatile that you can use them to make anything that you like. From using them as a sandwich base to a pizza base, you can make this bread into anything.
  
• This is a no-yeast recipe.
  
• You will love this overnight sourdough discard English muffin recipe.
  

🍶 Ingredients for sourdough discard English Muffins

Here is a list of ingredients that you will need to make sourdough discard English muffins.

Here is a list of ingredients that you will need to make vegan English muffins.

1. Bread Flour

Flour is a key ingredient in English muffins, providing structure and bulk to the dough. All-purpose flour is commonly used, as it has a moderate protein content that helps create a tender crumb. If you want a better crust and chew on your English muffins, go for bread flour. You can also mix in a little bit of whole wheat flour also.

2. Milk

I have used whole milk in this recipe as a liquid component to hydrate the dough. It adds moisture and richness to the English muffins, helping to create a soft texture.

You can use plant-based milk, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk.

3. Butter

Oil, Vegan butter, or margarine can also be used to add fat to the dough, which contributes to the flavor and texture of the English muffins. It helps to create a tender crumb and adds richness to the final product.

4. Sugar

You can use any kind of sugar or a sweetener of your choice. Sugar is added to the dough to provide sweetness, which balances the flavor of the batter. You can use the vegan sweetener like maple syrup also.

5. Sourdough Discard

The best way is to use a fed sourdough starter, but you can easily make them using the discard. It just takes longer to ferment.

Sourdough discard refers to the portion of your sourdough starter that you remove and discard as part of the regular feeding process.

When you maintain a sourdough starter, you typically feed it with fresh flour and water regularly to keep the wild yeast and bacteria cultures alive and active. As you feed the starter, you remove a portion of the existing starter to make room for the fresh flour and water. This portion that you remove is known as the discard.

While the term "discard" might suggest that this portion of the starter is no longer useful, it can be repurposed in a variety of ways. I like to use sourdough discard to make pancakes, waffles, naan, focaccia, pizza dough, or simply a sourdough discard bread. You could also use it to add flavor to bread, biscuits, or other recipes that use commercial yeast as the leavening agent.

Let me put the sourdough discard prerequisites for making this recipe briefly:

• Sourdough discard should not be older than 6 days.
  
• It should have been refrigerated for the most part.
  
• 1 ½ to 2 hours before making the dough, take the dough out of the fridge and let it become bubbly again. Note that it will not rise like a sourdough starter, but it will show some vital activity when brought to room temperature.
  

6. Salt

Salt is an important ingredient for flavor, helping to enhance the overall taste of English muffins. It also regulates the fermentation process, slows down yeast activity, and strengthens the gluten structure in the dough.

7. Cornmeal or semolina

 Cornmeal or semolina is used to coat the outside of the sourdough discard English muffins, which prevents them from sticking and adds a slightly crunchy texture to the crust. It also adds a characteristic visual appearance to English muffins. You can use white or yellow cornmeal or coarse semolina.

Equipment’s required

• Cookie cutter

• Cast iron or non-stick Skillet
  

🔪 Instructions to make sourdough discard English muffins

Step 1 Prep wet and dry ingredients

In the large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, combine the room-temperature milk, sugar, and sourdough discard. Stir to combine.

Make sure that you have the sourdough discard at room temperature, and it should show air bubbles. It is just to confirm that the culture is still alive, though not as vigorous as an active sourdough starter.

Step 2 Preparing the English muffin dough

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix the dough until it comes together into a shaggy ball.

Once the dough has formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Now add the room-temperature softened butter and keep kneading until smooth and supple dough is formed.

Shape the dough into one ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl.

If kneading in a stand mixer

Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Now start kneading at low speed (speed 2 for KitchenAid). Keep kneading for 7-8 minutes. Then bump up the speed and knead at high speed (speed 6 for KitchenAid) for 4-5 more minutes or until it leaves the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth.

Transfer the dough into a large, greased bowl with enough headroom for the dough to rise and proof.

Step 3 Resting and bulk-proofing the dough

Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let the dough ferment on the kitchen counter for 7-8 hours or overnight. On a hot summer day, it might proof faster. The exact time will also depend on the vigor of the sourdough discard. So, every dough will take a different time. So the key is to keep an eye on the dough and wait until it doubles up in volume. This stage is called bulk fermentation. When the dough appears fuller and its volume increases, you are ready to shape them.

 The best part about this recipe is that you knead the dough in the night and let it ferment overnight. The next morning, you shape and bake them.

Step 4 Shaping the English muffins.

After the resting period, uncover the bowl and punch down the dough to release any air bubbles.

Dust the work surface with cornmeal and flatten the dough to a thickness of around ½ an inch. Now grab a 3-4 inches cookie cutter and cut out circles of dough using the cutter and transfer them to a sheet pan that's been dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour.

Leave some space between each muffin as they will rise a bit. Go back and gather the leftover dough. Roll it back into a sheet and cut more circles. The recipe makes about 10 sourdough discard English muffins.

An alternate way to shape English muffins

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and flatten it slightly to form a disc shape, resembling an English muffin.

Step 5 Proofing the shaped English muffins

Place the dough discs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover the baking sheet with a towel and let the dough discs rise for about 40-45 minutes until they become slightly fuller in size.

Step 6 Cooking the English muffins

While the dough discs are finishing rising, preheat a non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Once the dough discs have risen, carefully transfer them to the preheated skillet or griddle. Cook the English muffins for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and cooked through.

If somehow the griddle is very hot and the English muffins appear to brown from the surface and appear undone from the inside you can always finish them in a 350 ⁰F oven.

Remove the cooked English muffins from the skillet or griddle and let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

And there you have it! overnight sourdough discard English Muffins.

🍽How to serve English muffins?

English muffins are versatile breakfast bread that can be served in various ways. Here are some ideas for serving breakfast English muffins ideas:

• Classic Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
• Jam or Nut Butter Toast
•  Eggs Benedict
• Burger
• Avocado Toast
• Sourdough discard English Muffin Pizza
• Breakfast Bruschetta
• Open-faced Sandwich

These are just a few ideas for serving English muffins. Feel free to get creative and customize them with your favorite vegan fillings and toppings to suit your taste preferences. Enjoy your delicious sourdough discard English muffins!

🫙How to store English Muffins

To store homemade English muffins, follow these steps:

Cool completely: Allow the homemade vegan English muffins to cool completely on a wire rack after cooking before storing them. This helps to prevent condensation and keeps them from becoming soggy.

Wrap or seal: Once the English muffins have cooled, individually wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can also use a resealable plastic bag.

Store at room temperature: English muffins can typically be stored at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, depending on the freshness of your ingredients and the climate of your environment. Make sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight or heat. A bread box could be one of those places.

Freeze for longer storage: If you don't plan on consuming the English muffins within a few days, you can also freeze them for longer storage. Place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

Thaw before using: When you're ready to use the frozen vegan English muffins, thaw them at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Once thawed, you can reheat them in a toaster, toaster oven, or oven to refresh their texture and flavor.

Toast before serving: For the best taste and texture, it's recommended to toast the stored or thawed English muffins before serving. Toast them until they are lightly crispy and golden brown on the outside for that classic English muffin texture.

By following these storage tips, you can enjoy your homemade English muffins at their best for longer periods of time, whether you store them at room temperature or freeze them for later use.

💭Tips and tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the best English muffins:

• Bring the butter and milk to room temperature before starting to knead the dough.
  
• Make sure that you have the sourdough discard at room temperature, and it should show air bubbles. It is just to confirm that the culture is still alive, though not as vigorous as an active sourdough starter.
  
• Knead the dough: Kneading the dough helps to develop gluten, which gives the English muffins their chewy texture. Knead the dough well until it becomes smooth and elastic.

• Use a non-stick skillet or cast iron griddle: To cook the English muffins, use a non-stick skillet or griddle to prevent them from sticking. If you don't have a non-stick surface, you can lightly grease the cast iron skillet with some vegan butter or oil.

• Cook low and slow: English muffins are traditionally cooked at a lower heat to ensure that they cook evenly and develop a crispy crust. Cook them over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat if needed to prevent them from burning.

• Fork-split the muffins: To get the classic nooks and crannies texture of English muffins, use a fork to split them open after they have cooled slightly. This helps to create those signature pockets for butter, jam, or other toppings to settle into.

• Toast before serving: For the best flavor and texture, lightly toast the English muffins before serving. You can use a toaster or a toaster oven to toast them until they are golden brown.

• Store properly: If you have leftovers, store the English muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or freeze them for longer storage. To reheat, toast them or warm them in a toaster oven.

• You can incorporate add-ins such as herbs, spices, or seeds to customize the flavor of your sourdough discard English muffins.
  
• Make it a vegan sourdough English muffin by using plant-based milk, vegan sugar, and margarine or simply make the vegan English muffins.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

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With the right ingredients and techniques, you can create fluffy, flavorful, and wholesome English muffins. I hope you liked this recipe for Sourdough Discard Englsih Muffins. Do share your experience.

Till then

Bake it Delicious!

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