Sourdough English Muffins are one of the tastiest breakfast breads in my opinion, unique and delicious.
A good way to make some bread, especially if you don’t have access to an oven, since this is cooked on the stove top.
Invented by a British expat who had moved to New York in the 1800’s in his quest to find something more elegant than toast.
Samuel Bath Thomas had moved to the US from Plymouth in England, where he opened a bakery.
A variation on the British crumpet.
The english muffin is cooked on both sides creating a bread product that is toasted on the outside and soft and full of holes on the inside.
There is nothing quite like making your own breakfast breads in the morning.
A sourdough will take a bit more planning than if you were to make regular breakfast biscuits for example.
Sourdough english muffins need to sit overnight to develop the uncommon sour flavor that defines this type of bread.
Something I enjoy about cooking is the ability to continuously learn new techniques.
It is so interesting to witness how others have innovated different kinds of foods.
This encourages me on my own quest to innovate and fuse different foods from different cultures and countries.
What are Sourdough English Muffins?
The English muffin is not actually a muffin, but more like a crumpet.
And what is a crumpet?
Cooked on one side the crumpet has lots of holes on the top that allows for butter to permeate.
That way you can get more butter than you would say on a regular piece of toast.
An English Muffin is cooked on both sides on a griddle creating the holes in the middle of the muffin.
When cut in half, you essentially have two pieces of bread with lots of room for your butter.
Referring to it as an English muffin, differentiates it from a traditional American muffin which is something else entirely.
How to Make Sourdough English Muffins
Starting the night before you want to eat the muffins you will form a smooth batter using a sourdough starter.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
This will then be allowed to sit overnight or longer in a large bowl allowing it to develop the deep flavor that you are looking for.
This process is not too dissimilar to making a sponge when making certain kinds of bread.
The next morning you will add to this sponge to continue finishing the dough.
You will find that this is more of a dough than it is a batter.
Once you have a dough you will roll it out on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness.
Using a circular dough cutter you will cut out the rounds that will become the muffins.
Place the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet for a little rise time, give them a good 60 minutes.
Using a lightly greased cast iron skillet on the stovetop bake the muffins on one side then the other until golden brown.
Cook muffins for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
You may need to cover the pan to ensure your english muffins are cooked all the way through.
What to Eat Them With
English muffins are quite versatile and can be served with sweet or savory toppings and can even be made into mini sandwiches.
Cut in half and toasted these muffins are lovely.
With all the ‘nooks and crannies’ on the inside there is so much to get crunchy.
It’s almost like the surface area is larger because of all the holes that make a home for the butter and jam.
After toasting the english muffin try melting cheese over the top, delicious!
But don’t stop there, there can be eaten with hummus with the olive oil being added first to all the little holes.
Then spread the hummus on top and perhaps top that with a drizzle of chopped peppers and garlic in lemon juice.
Another good thing to try is labneh, topped with green olives, and dried mint.
I have found that these muffins are a great base for mini pizzas.
Put a little tomato or pesto sauce on them, or both, top with your favorite toppings and sprinkle with cheese.
These are lovely appetizers and can even be served as little finger foods at parties when cut into smaller pieces.
Sourdough English Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sponge
- 1 cup Sourdough Starter
- 2 cups Milk
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Sugar
Finishing the Muffins
- 1-2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Salt
- Corn Meal for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the starter, flour, the milk, and sugar until you have a batter consistency. Cover with plastic and allow to sit overnight.
- Finish the following morning by adding baking soda and salt.
- Add enough flour to make a dough that is somewhat sticky but does not stick to your hands.
- Allow the dough to rise.
- Roll out the dough to about a half inch thickness. Using a circular dough cutter cut out muffins.
- Place on a parchment covered tray. Allow to rise for an hour.
- Cook each side of the muffin in a buttered cast iron skillet on a low heat. 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
- You may need to cover the pan to ensure the muffin cooks all the way through.
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