Best Sourdough English Muffins Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, water and Sourdough Starter. Cover and let stand overnight. , Combine the milk powder, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup flour. Add to sour dough mixture; mix well. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 2-3 minutes, adding more flour if needed. , Roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-in. round cookie cutter. Greased baking sheets and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Place muffins 2 in. apart on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle remaining cornmeal over muffin tops. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. , In a lightly greased griddle or electric skillet, cook muffins at 275° for 10 minutes. Turn and cook 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Split with a sharp knife or a fork and toast if desired. Serve with butter, jam or honey.

Steps:

• Stir milk and sourdough starter together in a large bowl until mostly smooth. Mix in flour. Cover bowl and leave to ferment at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• Add sugar, baking soda, and salt to the preferment, stirring just enough to incorporate. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 4 to 5 minutes, adding as much of the 1/2 cup flour as needed to make the dough workable.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten dough to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 4-inch rounds using a clean tuna can or biscuit cutter; keep edges well floured to avoid sticking.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal over a sheet of waxed paper. Arrange cut-outs over the cornmeal. Sprinkle a thin layer over the dough. Let rest for 45 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Cook English muffins until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• The morning before you want to enjoy your English muffins, prepare your dough: In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together starter, water, honey and oil.
• Select a container or bowl that will hold at least 3 quarts, as this dough will grow 3 to 4 times in size. Add the flour and salt to it, making a well in the center. Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir with your hands, clawing the mixture and flipping it occasionally until no flour streaks remain, and you are left with a dense, shaggy, wet ball. Scrape the bowl as needed to integrate sneaky flour pockets.
• Cover loosely with a lid or inverted plate. Tuck in a warm, draft-free place and allow it to nearly quadruple in volume over the next 8 to 12 hours.
• Dust a work surface heavily with flour. Prepare a large baking sheet by coating it with a light dusting of polenta, followed by a dusting of flour.
• Deflate the dough by scraping it down in the bowl with a spatula. Transfer the dough to the dusted work surface. (Do not dust the surface of your dough, as you want it to stick to itself.) Using a bowl scraper, bench knife or lightly floured hands, pick up the dough from underneath, stretch and fold it like a business letter: bottom third up to the middle, top third down. Using the bowl scraper, flip your dough onto the prepared baking sheet so the folded side is now the underside.
• Lightly flour the top surface of your dough, then grease a rolling pin with neutral oil and roll your dough out to 1/2-inch thick, using additional oil on the pin if the dough begins to stick.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface and tuck it around the edges of the dough to prevent it from drying out. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight for a more pronounced sour flavor.
• When ready to cook, heat your largest cast-iron pan over medium-low and lightly grease with neutral oil.
• Remove dough from the fridge, peel away plastic, lightly flour the surface of the dough and gently brush the flour to distribute evenly. Using a greased 4-inch ring cutter (or the ring top of a large Mason jar), cut the dough into muffins.
• Place as many muffins as you can fit along the edges of your cast-iron pan (avoiding the hot center of the pan), puffy-side up. In between batches, refrigerate any muffins you are not cooking.
• Cook undisturbed, for 6 to 8 minutes or until visibly puffed and matte like a very fluffy pancake. Once they are visibly golden on the bottom - you can take a peek - flip them and lightly press so they make full contact with the pan, then continue to cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until golden. It helps to give them a gentle 180-degree turn midway through cooking.
• Transfer cooked, hot muffins to a large plastic freezer bag or sealed container and seal to steam a bit to finish. (Steaming helps make the outer crust soft and chewy.)
• Wipe the pan dry and re-grease lightly as before. Continue cooking, transferring finished muffins to the plastic bag.
• When fully cool, about 1 hour, remove muffins and pierce each around the middle with a fork to perforate. When ready to eat, peel muffins apart, toast and slather with butter. Store remaining muffins in a separate bag or resealable container in the refrigerator. These are best enjoyed fresh, but can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, then toasted.

Steps:

• Build the levain:
• In a tall jar or medium bowl, mix the mature starter, flours, and warm water until incorporated. Cover with a lid or clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. You can use your levain immediately, or refrigerate it for 12 hours to use later or the next day.
• Make the dough:
• In a large bowl, mix the flours, water, levain, and salt. Using your hands, squeeze everything together and then turn the dough out onto a work surface. Knead the dough using the palm of your hand to push it forward, and then your fingers to pull it back toward your hand. Repeat this process until you have a smooth surface. Don't be afraid to rip this dough while you knead with your palm and then bring it back together again.
• Cover the dough and let ferment at room temperature for 6 hours. Refrigerate the dough for 15 hours more.
• Shape and proof the dough:
• Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and stretch the dough into a rectangle about ½-inch (1 cm) thick.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust it liberally with semolina and cornmeal.
• Using about a 3- or 4-inch (7.5 or 10 cm) round baking ring or a cup, cut out about 10 circles from the dough. Place each dough circle on the prepared baking sheet. Dust the tops with a bit more cornmeal.
• Cover the English muffins and let proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Cook the muffins:
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
• Dust the skillet with cornmeal and semolina.
• Place the muffins in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown on the top and bottom and lighter on the sides, with darker bits of cornmeal or semolina on top. The time may vary depending on your stove.
• Let rest for about 20 minutes to ensure the inside is fully cooked before cutting.

Steps:

• The night before, feed sourdough starter as you normally do.
• The next morning take out 1/2 cup starter for use in the muffins.
• Sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/4 cup warm water.
• Allow yeast to become bubbly.
• Heat milk to lukewarm, add remaining 1 cup water, sourdough starter, baking soda, salt and yeast to large mixing bowl.
• Add half the flour and beat well with electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
• Cover bowl and let rise to double in bulk, this depends on the weather but takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add melted butter and remaining flour beating and kneading thoroughly.
• Cover and again allow to rise until double, approximately 45 minutes.
• Turn dough out on board dusted slightly with flour and either corn meal, oat bran or wheat germ.
• Flatten with rolling pin to 3/4-inch thickness.
• Cut with a 2-1/2 inch diameter cutter, place on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Allow muffins to rest and rise for about 15 minutes or until light.
• Spray griddle or heavy skillet with non-stick cooking spray and preheat until water sizzles when dropped on griddle.
• Cook the muffins on preheated griddle for approximately 15 minutes, turning several times.
• When ready to serve, split in half with fork, toast lightly and top with favorite toppings.
• Note: The preparation time includes feeding the starter overnight.