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5 English muffins on a cooling rack and one of the sourdough discard english muffin lathered with butter in a white plate

Sourdough Discard English Muffins

Meenakshi
These 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.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Course Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine English
Servings 10
Calories 157 kcal

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet
  • cookie cutter

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g Bread flour (2 ½ cups)
  • 90 g Sourdough discard
  • 200 g Whole milk (¾ cup +2 tbsp)
  • 6 g Salt (1 tsp)
  • 5 g Sugar (1 tsp)
  • 15 g butter (1 tbsp)
  • 3 tablespoon cornmeal or semolina

Instructions
 

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 and set aside.
  • In another bowl, combine the room-temperature milk, sugar, and sourdough discard. Stir to combine. (Make sure that the discard fulfills all the pre-requisites for this recipe. Read notes)

Step 2 Preparing the dough for the sourdough discard English muffins

  • 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. Add butter and bump up the speed and knead at high speed (speed 6 for KitchenAid) for 4-5 more minutes or until dough 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.
    The key is to keep an eye on the dough and wait until it doubles up in volume. Please note that sourdough discard dough takes longer to ferment. 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.
  • Transfer them to a sheet pan/ baking sheet 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 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

  • 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 you 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. Repeat with the remaining muffins.
  • And there you have it! sourdough discard English Muffins.

Notes

  • 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. It should never be older than 6 days and must have been refrigerated straight after discarding.
  • 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 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 pan 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.
 

📋Nutrition Facts

table of nutrition facts about the sourdough discard english muffins

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal
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