Description
These Sourdough Discard English Muffins are a delightful way to use your sourdough discard, resulting in soft, fluffy muffins with traditional nooks and crannies. They offer a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors, cooked on the stovetop to achieve a lovely golden crust and tender interior, making them ideal for breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (240 grams), warmed to 110 degrees F
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams or 1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) brown sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- ½ cup (140 grams) sourdough discard
Dry Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
- Cornmeal or semolina flour (for dusting)
Instructions
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Yeast: Mix warm milk, melted butter, sourdough discard, brown sugar, and active dry yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Form Dough: Add bread flour and kosher salt to the wet mixture. Mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a slightly sticky dough forms.
- First Rise: Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size, approximately 60-90 minutes.
- Optional Refrigeration: At this point, you can refrigerate the dough overnight or proceed immediately to the next step.
- Shape the Muffins: After rising, place the dough onto a floured surface and roll or press it out to about 1-inch thickness. Cut rounds using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.
- Prepare for Second Rise: Place the cut rounds on a pan lined with cornmeal or semolina flour, dusting both sides well to prevent sticking.
- Second Rise: Cover the muffins and allow them to rise for about one hour until puffy. If coming straight from the refrigerator, this may take up to two hours.
- Preheat Skillet: Heat an electric skillet to 300°F or use a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange the risen muffins on the skillet, ensuring space between each.
- Initial Cooking: Cover and cook the muffins for 5 minutes on one side.
- Flip and Cook Other Side: Flip the muffins, cover again, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Finish Cooking: Reduce the heat to about 250°F and flip the muffins a few more times until the internal temperature reaches 195-200°F. Alternatively, you can finish cooking in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- Cool and Prepare to Serve: Remove the English muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature. Before toasting, split them open using a fork and fingers to reveal the characteristic craggy nooks and crannies.
Notes
- You can refrigerate the dough after the first rise to bake later, which deepens the flavor.
- Dusting with cornmeal or semolina flour helps to prevent sticking and adds texture to the crust.
- Cooking on a stovetop skillet replicates the traditional method for English muffins, giving a perfect crust and soft interior.
- Using a fork to split the muffins rather than slicing maintains the classic texture.
- If you do not have an electric skillet, a heavy skillet on medium-low heat works fine.
- The dough is slightly sticky; flour your surface and hands as needed during shaping.
