Soft, sourdough discard english muffins with the classic nooks and crannies, made easy by hand or in the bread machine. This sourdough english muffins recipe uses up your discard and bakes up golden and tender.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
These sourdough english muffins put your discard to work, so nothing from your starter goes to waste.
The instant yeast and the discard team up, so the dough rises reliably every time, no guesswork.
They are browned on the skillet first, then finished in the oven, which gives them crisp, craggy tops and soft, fluffy centers.
You can knead the dough by hand or let the bread machine do the work for you.
The result is a soft, moist crumb that toasts up buttery and light.
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD ENGLISH MUFFINS
Make the dough
- Warm the milk and stir in the discard. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sourdough discard, sugar, and instant yeast until everything is dissolved and smooth.
- Add the butter and salt, then the flour. Stir in the melted butter and salt, then mix in the flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. If it feels too sticky to handle, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, but keep it soft, a tender dough is what makes the best nooks and crannies.
Let the dough rise
Cover and let it rise. Cover the bowl and set it somewhere warm to rise for 1 to 1½ hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
Bread machine method
- If you would rather skip the kneading, here is how. Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan in this order: warm milk, sourdough discard, melted butter, sugar, salt, flour, and instant yeast. Run the dough cycle.
- Check the dough as it kneads. After 5 to 10 minutes, the dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not firm. If it looks very wet and smears around the pan, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it looks stiff or dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Move on to shaping. Once the dough cycle and first rise are finished, continue with the shaping below. And if you are a bread machine person, my Honey White Bread Machine Recipe uses the same hands-off kneading, so you might like that one too.
Shape the muffins
- Get the baking sheet ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it generously with cornmeal.
- Roll it out. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat or roll it to about ¾-inch thick.
- Cut the rounds. Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Press the scraps together gently, reroll, and cut a few more.
- Let them puff up. Place the English muffins on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the tops generously with cornmeal. Cover loosely and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until noticeably puffy.
Cook the muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet, cast-iron skillet, or griddle over medium-low heat.
- Brown the first side. Carefully place the English muffins in the skillet, leaving a little space between them. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Flip and brown the second side. Flip the muffins and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until golden on the other side.
- Bake them through. Transfer the browned English muffins to a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes, until the centers are cooked through and read about 195°F to 200°F.
- Cool and split. Transfer the English muffins to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Split them with a fork instead of a knife, that is how you keep the classic nooks and crannies.
QUICK TIPS
- Use warm milk, not hot. Hot milk can kill the yeast, so aim for lukewarm, around body temperature.
- Do not over-flour the dough. A softer, slightly sticky dough is what creates the nooks and crannies, so resist the urge to add too much.
- Watch the dough in the bread machine. It should feel soft and tacky, not firm, so adjust with a little flour or milk if needed.
- Cook low and slow. Medium-low heat browns the outsides without burning them before the centers cook through.
- Do not skip the oven. The skillet browns the outside, but the oven finishes the inside so they are not doughy.
- Split with a fork. A knife flattens the texture, while a fork opens up those craggy, buttery pockets.
- Let them cool before slicing. Warm muffins fall apart, so cool them for the cleanest split.
MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES
If you love baking with your starter, try my Sourdough Bread for Beginners next, or ease in with a cozy loaf like my Pumpkin Sourdough or Chocolate Sourdough Bread.
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard English Muffins
Soft, sourdough discard english muffins with the classic nooks and crannies, made by hand or in the bread machine. This sourdough english muffins recipe uses up your discard and bakes up golden and tender.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk - warmed
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour - plus more as needed
- Cornmeal - for dusting
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sourdough discard, sugar, and instant yeast until dissolved and smooth.
- Stir in the melted butter and salt, then mix in the flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. If it feels too sticky to handle, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, but keep it soft, a tender dough makes the best nooks and crannies.
- Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1½ hours, until doubled in size.
- Bread machine method. If you would rather skip the kneading, add the ingredients to the bread machine pan in this order: warm milk, sourdough discard, melted butter, sugar, salt, flour, and instant yeast. Run the dough cycle.After 5 to 10 minutes, the dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not firm. If it looks very wet and smears around the pan, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it looks stiff or dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.Once the dough cycle and first rise are finished, continue with the shaping below.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it generously with cornmeal.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat or roll it to about ¾-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Press the scraps together gently, reroll, and cut a few more.
- Place the English muffins on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the tops generously with cornmeal. Cover loosely and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until noticeably puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet, cast-iron skillet, or griddle over medium heat.
- Carefully place the English muffins in the skillet, leaving a little space between them. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Flip the muffins and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until golden on the other side.
- Transfer the browned English muffins to a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 7 minutes, until the centers are cooked through and read about 195°F to 200°F.
- Transfer the English muffins to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Notes
- Warm the milk, do not let it get hot, or it can kill the yeast.
- Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky, that is what makes the nooks and crannies.
- Do not over-flour, add it slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time, only if the dough is too sticky.
- In the bread machine, the dough should feel soft and tacky, not firm.
- Cook over medium-low heat so the outsides brown without burning before the centers cook.
- Do not skip the oven step, it finishes baking the centers through.
- Split with a fork instead of a knife to keep the classic craggy texture.
- Let them cool completely before splitting, warm muffins fall apart.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
