Easy Sourdough English Muffins

Day 1 – Morning

1. Feed Sourdough Starter

   Feed your sourdough starter in the morning on the day before you plan to cook your English muffins

Day 1 – Evening

1. Mix Ingredients

   Add the active starter to a large bowl along with the milk and mix until the starter is dissolved.  Add honey, flour, and salt. I like to start out mixing using a dough scraper (you can fine the ones I use here). Once the mixture starts to become incorporated I switch to using my fingers.  To prevent sticking, wet hands with cold water and use fingers to mix the dough until fully incorporated.

   (Do not add cornmeal to mixture. The corn meal is used to dust the muffins after cutting)

   

2. Rest

   Cover the dough and let it rest for approximately 45 minutes. (This short resting period after mixing allows the flour to fully absorb the water, which enhances gluten development, improves dough structure, and makes it easier to handle.)

3. Knead

   Place the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 5 – 7 minutes.  (the process of kneading. along with helping to distribute the ingredients throughout the dough and improve its texture, ensures the gluten proteins form a strong bond allowing the dough to rise and hold its shape.)

    

   You may also use the dough hook in your stand mixer at the low setting, but I find that it isn't worth the effort to get it out for such a short kneading time.

4. Rise

   Cover the dough and let it rise overnight at room temperature. 

   
    If you are in a cold climate or a colder part of the year then you can place it in the oven with the light on or inside the microwave to create a warmer environment for it to rise in.

Day 2 – Morning

1. Press Out Dough & Cut Muffins

   Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with a piece of parchment paper and giving the parchment paper a light dusting of cornmeal. Press the dough out with your fingers until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick and then cut dough into 3 inch circles, placing them evenly spaced on the cornmeal dusted parchment paper.  (I prefer to do this with a wide mouth mason jar).  Keep each of the holes as close together as possible to maximize the number of muffins you get from the dough.  Once you can no longer get a full size muffin cut from the dough, ball up the access and press it back out to approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Repeat this process until you have used up all your dough. 

   

2. Dust & Rise

   Dust the tops of the muffins with a light coating of cornmeal and then cover them with a clean towel. Let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

   

3. Cook

   Preheat a nonstick skillet or a skillet lightly sprayed with cooking spray over medium-low heat. Place the muffins into the skillet, leaving sufficient space between them. Cover and cook each side for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat until all muffins are cooked.

   

4. Enjoy!

   Enjoy your English muffin with a bit of homemade butter and jam or add sausage, egg, and cheese for a delicious breakfast sandwich.