Sourdough English Muffins
We love English muffins, and who doesn't? This sourdough version, with its slow, cold fermentation, produces phenomenally light yet toothsome morsels that are crunchy on the outside and soft and supple on the inside. Our Organic Expresso yields the crumb sweet, nutty, and earthy notes while a good starter contributes a lovely floral aroma. Great for breakfast, lunch or even dinner!
BY: ELLE COWAN
Prep Time
20 minutes
Bake Time
30 minutes
Total Time
26 hours 30 minutes
Yield
8 English Muffins
Ingredients
½ cup (114g) sourdough starter
½ tablespoon (7g) sugar
⅔ cup (170ml) milk, warmed to 105-115°F
1 ¾ cup (227g) Organic Expresso bread flour
1 tablespoon (15g) butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon (5.6g) salt
2 tablespoon (15-20g) cornmeal
Clarified butter, as needed
Baker's Notes
The classic way to open an English Muffin is to use a fork and we wouldn’t do it any other way!
You can cut the fermentation time down if you’re crunched for time, but we highly recommend the full 24 hours to allow the development of flavor and build strength in the dough.
Clarified butter is butter that has had the milk solids removed. This allows a higher smoking point, which means no burned butter. You can do this by melting butter at a low temperature and skimming the white cloudy bits (the milk solids) until you get to that liquid gold. You can strain any remaining bits through a paper towel to get a fully “clear” clarified butter. Alternatively, you can purchase ghee, an Indian version of clarified butter, which is now available in many stores.
Instructions
- Combine the starter, sugar, and milk in a mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix with a whisk to break up the starter and dissolve the sugar.
- Add bread flour followed by butter and mix with a dough hook until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the salt and mix for about 5 minutes, if using the stand mixer, or for about 10 minutes, if mixing by hand, until the dough is smooth.
- Shape the dough in a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl covered with plastic wrap. Ferment for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- The next day, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Portion the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces (67g each) and shape them into squat rounds. While working on one piece, keep the other pieces covered with plastic wrap, to keep them from drying.
- Dip the top and bottom of each round in cornmeal. Leave the sides unmarked by the cornmeal.
- Place onto a silicone baking mat or a parchment-lined baking tray leaving about 2 inches of space between the pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. At this point, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat a pan on the stovetop on medium-low heat. Add a few drops of clarified butter to test. It should bubble but not sizzle.
- Once you’ve adjusted the heat of your pan, lightly brush it with clarified butter and add 1-3 english muffins to the pan, depending on the size of the muffins and the pan, leaving about ½ inch between the pieces.
- They should slowly begin to puff up and bubble after 3-5 minutes. Check the bottom and turn over once golden brown, adding more clarified butter to the pan if it was absorbed. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until fully risen and golden brown.
- If the dough looks browned but still feels too soft in the center, place in an oven for no longer than 5 minutes to fully cook the inside.
- Repeat with the remaining muffins.
- Let rest for at least 1 hour before opening.
Baker's Notes
The classic way to open an English Muffin is to use a fork and we wouldn’t do it any other way!
You can cut the fermentation time down if you’re crunched for time, but we highly recommend the full 24 hours to allow the development of flavor and build strength in the dough.
Clarified butter is butter that has had the milk solids removed. This allows a higher smoking point, which means no burned butter. You can do this by melting butter at a low temperature and skimming the white cloudy bits (the milk solids) until you get to that liquid gold. You can strain any remaining bits through a paper towel to get a fully “clear” clarified butter. Alternatively, you can purchase ghee, an Indian version of clarified butter, which is now available in many stores.