This is another great discard sourdough starter recipe. I am not a big fan of English muffins in general, but if you put a basket full of these sourdough English muffins in front of me, I will finish them all. They are addictive! The flavor is rich. I like the slight sweetness and a tiny bit of tang from the sourdough starter. I also love the browning and the toasty flavor they get from cooking in butter on a frying pan or a griddle. These English muffins are a must-try!
To make these muffins thick and puffy, I let them proof a little longer, about an hour or even a bit longer. This makes them extra airy and soft. Just make sure to handle them carefully to not deflate them.
About this recipe
This recipe is truly the best of both worlds. It uses both sourdough starter and commercial yeast. The sourdough starter adds the flavor, while the yeast makes the muffins puff up quickly and become light and airy. You don't need to wait a day or night for the sourdough starter to do the leavening. If you want your English muffins quick and you want them to have a rich sourdough flavor, this recipe is for you.
This recipe makes a firmer dough than some other English muffin recipes. It's still soft, with slight stickiness, but firmer than some other recipes. This is actually a good thing—it makes the dough much easier to work with.
The only tricky part here is getting the pan temperature right. You want it hot enough that the muffins get toasty and brown right by the time the inside is cooked through. I shoot for about six minutes per side, which is ideal. I get that when the pan is about 300F.
Baking instead of pan-frying
A couple of my readers asked if you could bake these muffins instead of pan-frying. Yes, you can! Now that I've tried it a few times, I prefer baking English muffins over pan-frying.
While there are probably several ways to bake Eglish muffins and make them taste good, I naturally prefer to bake them at high heat. This is my favorite method for many baked goodies. It creates a crispy, well-brown crust and a soft, delicate crumb, which I love. I always bake my pizza and focaccia at 500F on a baking stone. This method worked just as well for the English muffins. They came out perfect. Definitely not worse than pan-fried, maybe even slightly better. The best part is that baking them takes only 7 minutes and is much easier than pan-frying.
The baking method
It's very simple. Prepare the muffins like you normally would, place on a pre-heated pizza stone and bake at 500F for 7 minutes.
I bake my English muffins on a piece of parchment paper, which makes it easy for me to load them and take them out. I know, some people have had issues with baking on parchment paper at high temps, but this works fine in my gas oven and worked just as fine in my old electric oven. You can skip the parchment paper and bake directly on the baking stone.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 cup sourdough starter mature
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- cornmeal for dusting
For pan-frying
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat milk to 115F. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the butter and stir until melted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sourdough starter. Sprinkle instant yeast and stir.
- Add one cup of flour and the salt, and mix thoroughly.
- Add another cup of flour and mix by hand. The dough should be slightly sticky.
- Turn the dough in a lightly floured work surface. Roll out 1/2" thick and cut into 3" circles. Collect the cut-offs, re-roll and cut.
- Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Turn each miffing in cornmeal.
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until the muffins double in size.
- Preheat a skillet or a griddle to medium-low heat with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of cooking oil. Cook for about about 8 minutes per side or until the muffins are cooked through. I find they cook better if you cover the pan with a lid after you flip them.
- Remove, split and toast. Leftover muffins can be frozen for later. Just thaw them and toast before consuming.
- If you would rather bake your English muffins, I recommend baking for 7 minutes on a pizza stone at 500F without convection.
Nutrition
Make sure to try my new sourdough discard Belgian waffle recipe. It's exceptionally good.
Terry says
Making this recipe now but I don’t see the measurements in grams which you said you had done.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Terry, apologies for the late response. There two options under the recipe - US Customary and Metric. Click Metric and you will get the measurements in grams.
Ronel says
Hello ..
Chef do you have any ciabatta recipe..?
Badly needed..
Thanks in advance
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
I do have a very good one. I will try to post soon.
Ronald Keller says
I really want to try this recipe! Like Elisa H, I prefer recipes that have measurements in grams. You told her on December 20, 2022 “Give me a couple days, I will measure out the ingredients and post them in grams too”. Did that happen? If yes, where an I find? Or possibly reply to my email address.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Ronald, my apologies, I dropped the ball on that one. However, I went ahead and did that today. All measurements are now in imperial and metric units. Enjoy!
Ronald Keller says
Thanks! I’ll have a look and be making 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome. Good luck!
Elaine says
Victor, have you tried baking the English Muffins instead of pan frying? I prefer an English Muffin that is baked...I know it gets a "crown" and that is okay with me. I haven't found a really good sourdough recipe that allows me to bake them. I'd like to put them in the metal rings to rise and bake in them. Let me know if I can follow directions in this recipe and be successful or tweak along the way. I love using the sourdough starter in my bread recipes.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Elaine, no I haven't. If I were to bake these, I'd do it over high heat, like 500F, similar to how I bake pizza or focaccia. But I can't be more specific without testing this recipe out. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Elaine says
I'll give it a try. THANKS.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Elaine, I tested this recipe today and the baked version worked very well for me. I think I like it a little more than pan-fried taste-wise. The muffins come out lighter, more airy. The version that I liked the most was the one baked at 500F for 7 minutes on a baking stone. They had a nice crispy crust and a very soft interior. No mess, quick and very easy. I think I will switch to baking these. Thanks for the idea.
Elaine says
Oh, you are so nice to let me know. I will now for sure give the recipe a try. THANK YOU! I'll come back and give new comments.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome! Looking forward to your comments. Good luck!
Brittany says
Hello! Quick question… you said sourdough starter in the beginning of the blog post, but then it calls for an active starter. Can I use a sourdough starter in place of the active starter?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Brittany, I am not sure I understand what you mean by active starter vs sourdough starter. I use an active sourdough starter that I would discard anyway during regular feeding. In my view, it's the same thing. Maybe you can clarify for me.
Lauren says
Hi! I did try these last week and loved them! Curious if I can sub AP flour for whole wheat flour instead?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Lauren, I haven't tried this recipe with WW flour. I have a feeling it will work but you may need to make some adjustments.
Lora says
Made these and they turned out 100% perfect. They looked so pretty and tasted great!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad to hear it, Lora. Enjoy!
Susie says
Thanks so much! Just made these and love them!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Plantlady says
Can I use regular yeast instead of instant? Would I just need to let it sit a little longer after adding it to the mix to let it activate? Does using discard sourdough instead of active starter just make for a more dense muffin with fewer nooks and crannies?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, you can use regular but will need to activate it first. For me, instant yeast has been so much more reliable and easier to use that I don't even use active dry any more. Depending on how viable your regular yeast is, you may have to wait longer than an hour for the dough to double.
Using sourdough discard won't make a denser muffin. It's a way to not waste your flour, and it also adds a lot of flavor to the muffins. The starter discard is not use for leavening in this recipe, only for flavor, so the dough will be properly leavened by the yeast and will be just as airy as without using the discard.
Jennifer VanArsdale says
Hello..I was wondering if I can't use my sourdough discard for this recipe?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, you can.
Mary Gipprich says
My pan only fits 5 or 6 at a time, should I add Butter and oil to the pan between each batch?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, I would add some butter between batches.
K-Dub says
I made these today with some discard and they are delicious. Super soft and yummy. My only concern is the lack of bubbles inside like commercial English muffins. Not that I’m complaining.
Rachel says
My muffins aren’t rising after 2 hours. Help! What did I do wrong? Should I wait longer?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hard to say without knowing exactly what was done and what was used. It could be the yeast. If you are certain that the yeast is fine, it could be the ambient temperature, you could move the dough to a warm place, like the oven with the light on, it will be about 80-802F warm.
Rachel says
Ok thanks
Katherine Cornette says
I just wanted to share with you that I am making my 4th batch of these today because they are so enjoyed by my family! Thank you for sharing this!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Enjoy! I love these, and we make them quite often. No storebought English muffin comes even close to these.
Betty vite says
Just made these they turned out perfect will be remaking these often.thanks for the recipe
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome, Betty, Enjoy!
Pam says
love this recipe, i make it every week
Pam says
I also use my large electric fry pan, I can cook the whole batch at one time.
Shelley West says
Great idea!
Mila says
How would you store these for use without freezing?
Catole says
Soooooo good. Great recipe and easy to follow directions. My new favorite way to use discard.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear it. Enjoy!
Elisa H says
Two questions please..would you have gram weights for the measurements and can the milk be substituted for a plant based milk?Thank you in advance for your reply.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Elisa, I think plant-based milk should work fine, but I've never tried it. Give me a couple of days, I will measure out the ingredients and post them in grams too. Happy baking!
Leslie says
I got these all started and realized I've gotten rid of my instant yeast.......I'm hoping to solve this by letting it rise longer. fingers crossed.....should this work?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
If the starter is strong, it should leaven the dough just fine, but it will take longer and will give the dough a tangy taste. Good luck!
Michelle K says
This is an amazing recipe! I have had a hard time getting my English muffins right and this is the first recipe that I has turned out an English muffin I am happy with. The only problem is now my family is not going to want to eat store bought muffins!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
LOL We never liked English muffins until we started making our own one day and fell in love with them. Such a treat if made right.
Rachel says
How would you use active yeast instead of instant in this recipe?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Activate in warm water with a pinch of sugar and make sure you get a nice foam hat going before mixing in. Good luck!
Mariah says
I have tried different types of english muffins and didnt really like the taste or texture was off, until I found you. This is my second time making it. I dont have a yeast but I used baking soda instead. Functions the same. But i do need to add little bit more flour when adding baking soda in the mix. Since it is more wet texture. My dough does not rise when leaving out to rest for an hour but it does rise when cooking on the pan. It’s pretty epic to see and it is so delicious! I am forever going to keep your recipe but with baking soda instead of yeast=a WIN!
Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear about your success, Mariah. Happy baking! Enjoy!
Joyce says
Made them tonight and loved how easy and delicious they are. Mine turned out so good and I’m a new baker. Just started experiencing the art of sourdough baking because I can’t digest most breads
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good to hear it, Joyce. You should look into baking with spelt flour (an ancient heirloom type of wheat), it's more easily digestible for people who have trouble digesting regular wheat. Enjoy!
Stacey says
Can you bake these?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
I've never tried, but I don't see why you couldn't. I imagine they will taste a bit differently if baked.
Trish Allin says
Thank you for this recipe that I made today. It turned our just the way I hoped it would. I used homemade oat milk.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Glad they turned out well. Enjoy!
Elisa says
Can these be made with oatmilk and vegan butter, please? MY hubby is sensitive to dairy and I’d rather not tempt him.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Elisa, I am not 100% sure as I've never tried a substitution like this but I tend to thing that this should work just fine. Let time know how it goes. Good luck.
Trish Allin says
I used oat milk and olive oil. They turned out perfect Because we don't eat corn or corn products, I did not use the cornmeal. We like them this way and they are very versatile.
Julie says
These were easy and turned out good.
sylvia says
So this recipe is for the Sourdough DISCARD, right .... not the sourdough that I feed. I got confused because you recipe says Discard and then Sourdough.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Discard sourdough is still the same sourdough that you feed daily, only it would be the (mature) sourdough that you'd purposely throw away just before feeding a small amount of it it with more water and flour.
Kimberly Ness says
Oh my goodness! These are absolutely amazing. I made them for dinner tonight to use some of my extra sourdough starter even though I really don't care much for english muffins. They are so much better than store bought. They are nice and crispy on the outside, but soft and tender on the inside! Delicious with a little butter, honey an cinnamon sugar. I will definitely be making these again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Kimberly, that's how I felt about them too. I don't care for storebought English muffins as I find them pale, unappetizing, and very plain tasting. These ones changed everything and we make them quite often to utilize sourdough discard. Enjoy! Be sure to try my other recipes that use sourdough discard like the cinnamon rolls and sourdough biscuits.
Elaine says
Has anyone tried baking these instead of pan frying? I prefer an English Muffin that is baked...I know it gets a "crown" and that is okay with me. I haven't found a really good sourdough recipe that allows me to bake them. I'd like to put them in the metal rings to rise and bake in them. Let me know if I can follow directions in this recipe and be successful or tweak along the way. I love using the sourdough starter in my bread recipes.
Jody says
Oh my goodness does my kitchen smell wonderful!. I think covering them after the first flip was the answer to the softness and baking all the way through. I started on my Sourdough journey last June at the peak of the craziness of Covid-19. Having baked many yeast breads before, but never Sourdough thought why not. Naming my starter Roberta after my beloved mom I have achieved some success and quite a few failures. Your English Muffins are just divine!! I followed the recipe to the T. Your Cinnamon Rolls are next.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear that, Jody. It took me a while to respond, my apologies for that. If you've made the cinnamon rolls, let me know how they turned out. Share some pics if you have any.
Tom says
Wow. I covered with lid after first turn. The results yielded a Rolls Royce version of bacon cheese egg Mcmuffins at our breakfast table!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Tom, happy to hear it. Enjoy! And try my other recipes.
Camille says
Great recipe! These are very easy to make and a good use for discarded starter. My husband said they are the only English muffins he will eat. They come out light and fluffy with a perfect crispy on the outside.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Wow, what a compliment. Thank you. If your husband has a sweet tooth, you must make him these sourdough cinnamon rolls. They are quite delicious. If he likes savory quick breads, I'd try these sourdough biscuits. It's a variation of my favorite biscuit recipe.
Keith says
This is an excellent recipe. I have never used sourdough to make English muffins before, and am so pleased with the result. The muffins taste delicious - very buttery, and a wonderful slightly chewy texture. I only made one tweak to the list of ingredients: I substituted oat milk as my wife is lactose intolerant. I did not substitute the butter though! I also worked in grams as opposed to cups - sourdough 210g, flour 300g. Highly recommended!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Keith,
I am glad you liked my recipe. It's been a huge hit in our home, my girls keep asking me to make more. If they had it their way, they'd bee eating these every morning. And thanks for the detailed feedback and the kind words.
Carol says
Thank you for the grams information!!
Lisa says
I just made my first sourdough English muffins and they were a success! Like you I am not a fan of English muffins but these taste really good and my husband and I finished them all. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome, Lisa. Thanks for your feedback.