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Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

Updated

Soft, craggy whole wheat English muffins made with sourdough starter, mixed the night before, then griddled in a skillet and finished in the oven.

Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
10 hr 25 min
Yield
10 English muffins
Illustration of Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

These English muffins from the KitchenSimplicity archive start with a simple overnight sponge of sourdough starter, milk and whole wheat flour. In the morning a little honey, salt and baking soda go in, the soft dough gets a brief knead, and rounds are cut, dusted with cornmeal and left to puff.

Browning them in a skillet and then letting the oven finish the job means each batch cooks through without scorching, and you are not stuck at the stove for an hour. Bake a batch on a weekend morning, split them with a fork, and keep the extras in the freezer for quick breakfast sandwiches all week.

Tips

  • To freeze, split the cooled muffins first so they can go straight from the freezer into the toaster; they keep about 3 months in a freezer bag.
  • A starter made with whole wheat flour works well here, but an all-purpose starter is fine too.
  • Be generous with the cornmeal on the baking sheet so the risen muffins slide off easily without deflating.
  • Use them for breakfast sandwiches with a fried egg, cheese and ham.

Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
10 hr 25 min
Yield
10 English muffins

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (120 g) active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup (240 ml) milk
  • 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1 tablespoon honey (melt it first if it is creamed)
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Cornmeal, for dusting

Steps

  1. The night before, stir the sourdough starter and milk together in a large bowl. Add the whole wheat flour and stir until no dry flour remains. Cover and leave at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, until bubbly.
  2. In the morning, stir the honey, salt and baking soda into the sponge with a sturdy spoon. The dough will be loose and sticky.
  3. Turn the dough onto a well-floured counter and knead for about 2 minutes, adding only as much flour as you need to keep it from sticking; it should stay soft.
  4. Flour the top of the dough and pat it out with your fingers to about 3/4 inch thick.
  5. Dust a baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Cut rounds with a floured 3-inch cutter or a jar rim, giving the cutter a small twist to free each round, and set them on the sheet. Press the scraps together and cut more until the dough is used up.
  6. Sprinkle the tops with a little more cornmeal, cover loosely and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until slightly puffy.
  7. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Warm a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat.
  8. Slide a spatula under each muffin and move it to the skillet, leaving space between them. Cook 2 to 4 minutes per side, until golden on both sides, lowering the heat if they brown too fast. Move the browned muffins to a clean baking sheet and repeat with the rest.
  9. Bake the browned muffins for about 15 minutes, until cooked through (about 200°F / 93°C in the center on an instant-read thermometer).
  10. Let the muffins cool completely, then split them with a fork and toast before serving.

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