Sourdough English Muffins

Sourdough English Muffins are perfectly craggly and slightly tangy in a way that goes beautifully with lots of melted butter! Best of all, they’re so much fun to make!

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We’re making English muffins — in our own homes! Can you believe it?! Sometimes along this made-from-scratch journey, I’m just so amazed at what we can accomplish with a few simple ingredients and some patience. And as much as I love a package of Thomas’ English Muffins, these homemade sourdough English muffins are so much better. Soft, flavorful, and full of tiny bubbles, this is the English muffin recipe you’ll want to make again and again.

So grab your sourdough starter and let’s get to it!

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What Is an English Muffin?

English muffins are small, round breads with a soft interior and chewy exterior. They’re not baked like American muffins — instead, they’re cooked on a stovetop. This method creates that airy crumb inside while keeping the outside golden and tender.

Where Did They Come From?

English muffins originated in the United Kingdom, where they were traditionally cooked on griddles over open heat. When they came to America, they became a breakfast staple, especially for egg sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and even English muffin pizzas. You can use them as an alternative to baking bread, which makes them incredibly versatile.

How Are They Cooked?

English muffins are cooked on a griddle, non-stick pan, or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. This slow stovetop cooking is the best way to achieve a soft, airy interior with a lightly crisp exterior. They can optionally finish in the oven if needed, but stovetop cooking is traditional and gives the best results.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I love this recipe because my family loves it! They are easy to whip up, easy to shape, easy to cook, and easy to eat! I love recipes that you can make over and over again and use in a variety of ways. It’s always good to have a bag of English muffins on hand.

English muffins are incredibly handy to have around. Use them for egg sandwiches, peanut butter snacks, mini pizzas, or quick lunches. Split and toast them or freeze them for longer storage. They’re one of my favorite ways to use extra sourdough starter or sourdough discard.

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Using Sourdough Discard

This recipe uses sourdough discard, which means your starter does not need to be active or freshly fed. You can use starter straight from the fridge as long as it’s not overly sour. If you prefer, you can also use fed sourdough starter or active sourdough starter—either works, perfectly. The discard provides wonderful flavor and structure, and the overnight rise ensures a soft, airy crumb.

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Ingredients

Sourdough discard: Can be cold, unfed, or recently refreshed. Just make sure it doesn’t smell too sharp.
Flour: You can use all-purpose flour, bread flour, or a mix with whole wheat flour.
Milk: Whole milk gives the most tender texture.
Butter: For richness and softness. Use at room temperature.
Salt: Kosher salt enhances flavor.
Honey: Helps balance the tanginess.
Corn meal or semolina flour: For dusting.

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Method

This method removes all confusion and walks you through each step so you always get the best English muffins. I’ve included timing notes, shaping help, cooking instructions, and internal temperature.

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1. Mix the Dough

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the sourdough discard, milk, soft butter, honey, kosher salt, and flour. Mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Then increase the speed to medium and continue to knead for about 10 minutes. At this point the dough should pull away from the sides of the mixer and start to form a ball around the dough hook.

If mixing by hand, use a large bowl and stir until you have a sticky dough that holds together.

This will be a sticky dough — that’s normal and leads to the airy crumb later. Avoid adding too much flour, which makes dense muffins. You’re final dough should bounce back when pressed with your finger. It should have a smooth surface.

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2. First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Warmer months or a warm temperature in your kitchen may shorten this bulk fermentation. Remember–increased temperature equals faster rise and vice versa.

The dough should rise noticeably by about 50% and become pillowy. You should see air bubbles along the sides of the bowl and the top of the dough should look smoother, with pockets of air underneath the surface. Also, the top of the dough will look domed.

I like using a straight sided container with clear measurements such as THIS one, especially when I’m trying out a new recipe. It takes the guesswork out of what exactly does a 50% rise look like in this bowl? For this recipe, my dough was just below the 1 quart line of my container, so I knew that I wanted to let it rise at room temperature until it was almost halfway in between the 1 and 2 quart markers.

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3. Overnight Rise

Next, make sure your dough is covered tightly, and refrigerate overnight. This overnight rise improves the flavor and makes the dough easier to handle the following day. The dough will continue to rise slightly as it cools, and by morning you will have dough that has basically doubled.

If you need the muffins the next day, this step fits perfectly into your schedule. By morning your muffins will be ready to shape and bake after only a short rise.

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4. Shape the Dough

The following morning, remove the dough from the fridge.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour

Pat or roll the dough into a ¾-inch thick slab. Cut into equal pieces using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or English muffin rings. Try to cut quickly and confidently! A sharp and even cut will result in a more even rise. I get about 8 muffins out of this recipe.

Here is the biscuit cutter I use, and it does a great job at cutting clean sides!

Transfer each round to a baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with corn meal or semolina flour. Dust the tops lightly as well for that signature English muffin look.

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5. Second Rise

Cover the muffins with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature for 60–90 minutes. They should look slightly puffy, and if you press your finger onto the top, the muffins should feel airy. During the cooking process, the English Muffins will rise slightly, growing to a little over an inch high.

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6. Cook the English Muffins

Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle, or non-stick pan over medium-low heat.

Cooking slowly is the best way to ensure the centers cook through. Place the muffins onto the pan, making sure to leave space between them. Four muffins fit nicely on a 12 inch cast iron skillet.

Cook the first side for 5–7 minutes until lightly golden brown. Flip gently and cook the second time for another 5–7 minutes. Note: While this isn’t the traditional cooking method, I found that placing a lid over my skillet really helped my muffins to cook more evenly and to finish baking after 7 minutes on each side without having to throw them in the oven.

If they brown too quickly, lower the heat. If they stay pale and take a long time, raise the heat slightly. Easy Peasy.

Check internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Fully cooked muffins should reach 195–200°F in the center. Don’t have an instant-read thermometer? I can’t recommend a Thermo Pen enough. It’s a game changer for bread baking!

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7. Cool and Split

At this point, your English Muffins are so beautiful and they smell so good! But you’ll want to let them cool completely on a rack before splitting. Otherwise, you’ll mush the craggly crumb that is so distinct. Use a fork to split the muffins — never a knife — to preserve the perfect nooks and crannies.

We love using these English muffins for breakfast sandwiches or with butter and jam. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try, it’s so much fun and is a great way to switch up your sourdough routine. The dough is beautiful and the end result is impressive!

Let us know if you give this recipe a try! We love seeing what fun sourdough things are happening in your kitchen! And drop any questions in the comments! Happy Baking!