All you need is a few simple ingredients to make these delicious and soft sourdough discard English muffins. Delightfully chewy, this recipe makes the perfect breakfast, brunch, or even use them in place of bread in sandwiches.
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The original version of my sourdough English muffins were one of my very first sourdough recipes on the blog. They are a staple in our house. They are super simple to make, they come together quickly, and you can use them in just about a thousand ways.
Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and if you are new to sourdough baking, this is for you.
Sourdough bread can be intimidating. You worry about the timing, and about feeding your starter so it is active when you are ready to start the dough. It’s one reason many people don’t even try. They are overwhelmed with all the new things they may have to learn.
If that is you, I want to encourage you to keep going. Start with sourdough discard recipes, like double chocolate sourdough bread, and once you get your feel for it, move on to some active starter fermentations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Great way to use discard: No, you don’t need an active sourdough starter for this recipe (although that will work). Discard will work just fine because the dough is risen by baking soda rather than the wild yeast in the active starter.
Versatile: English muffins can be used in a variety of ways– no need to stick to just breakfast. I use them for sandwiches or even as a side instead of biscuits. Slather on some homemade strawberry jam or cream cheese and everyone will be happy.
Super simple: They can be made quickly or long-fermented for the added health benefits.
Ingredients
Sourdough discard: The star of the show. This is an unfed sourdough starter. Active starter will also work, but it’s not a requirement. Discard also adds a lovely tanginess to the dough. Learn how to make a sourdough starter.
Honey: You could also use maple syrup or even sugar. You may need to add a little water if using sugar.
Baking soda: This gives the dough its rise.
Tools You May Need
Cast iron skillet
English muffin rings, biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, or even just a mason jar ring
How to Make Sourdough Discard English Muffins
The Quick Version
Step 1: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl. Whisk together well.
Step 2: Add in water and sourdough starter discard. Mix until it comes together. You could use a stand mixer if you prefer.
Step 3: Knead the dough for a few minutes to help develop the gluten strands.
Step 4: Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface about 1/2 inch thick with a rolling pin. Use an English muffin cutter and cut out the dough. Continue rolling out and cutting dough until all the dough is used up.
Step 5: Add a little oil to the cast iron skillet. Place English muffins in the pan. Allow to cook for about 5-6 minutes on one side.
Step 6: Flip and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool, then serve. If they have not cooked all the way through, place them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes.
The Long-Fermented Version
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients minus the baking soda. Knead together for a few minutes. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
Step 2: The next day, add baking soda to the fermented dough and knead well, making sure it’s all incorporated. Roll the dough and cut out. Preheat the skillet on medium-low heat.
Step 3: Add the English muffins to the cast iron skillet. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool, then serve.
Tips
- If your dough is too dry, you may need to add a little more water. The hydration of your starter will play a big part in this.
- If you find that the homemade English muffins are not cooking all the way through, you may need to pop them into a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and allow them to finish cooking.
- Make sure to use fresh baking soda for best results. Old baking soda may not give these muffins the desired rise.
- If making the long-fermented version, the dough may not rise at all during the fermentation period and that is totally fine. Nothing to worry about!
Recipe FAQ
Yes. They are made with a few basic ingredients and can be a healthy part of your diet. Long-ferment them for even more health benefits.
Yes. It is an active living food with fermented grains and healthy yeasts and bacteria.
Using sourdough discard can be a great way to reduce food waste rather than just tossing it out. It can also ferment grains just like an active starter, it just may not rise the dough.
Once your sourdough starter is established and you are using it frequently, you don’t need to discard every time. But if you find that you have too much starter, I would recommend discarding it to keep it a healthy and manageable size.
Storage
Store in an air-tight container for up to five days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Pair this recipe with:
- Zucchini Frittata
- Over-hard Eggs
- Peach Preserves
- Homemade Ricotta or Kefir Cheese
- Ham and Cheese Frittata
- Or turn them into Sourdough Breakfast Sandwiches
- Sourdough Beignets
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.
Sourdough Discard English Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour, 350 g
- 1 cup water, 236 g
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard, 125 g
- 1 tablespoon honey, 21 g
- 1 teaspoon salt, 5 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl. Whisk together well.
- Add in water, sourdough starter discard, and honey. Mix until it comes together. You could use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes to help develop the gluten strands.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface about 1/2 inch thick with a rolling pin.
- Use an English muffin cutter and cut out the dough. Continue rolling out and cutting dough until all the dough is used up.
- Add a little oil to the cast iron skillet. Place English muffins in the pan. Allow to cook for about 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool, then serve.
Notes
- If your dough is too dry, you may need to add a little more water. The hydration of your starter will play a big part in this.
- If the English muffins are not cooking all the way through, you may need to pop them into a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and allow them to finish cooking.
- Make sure to use fresh baking soda for best results. Old baking soda may not give these muffins the desired rise.
- If making the long-fermented version, the dough may not rise at all during the fermentation period and that is totally fine. Nothing to worry about!
- See post for long fermentation directions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe!! It’s become one of my go tos now 🙂 super easy and so good! I have been using the quick version and they come out great every time. Thanks for sharing.
Delicious!! I think the middle was a little doughy/dense. Might need to bake them a little?? Did not do a long ferment and kneaded them by hand.
Yes, I would try baking them for around 10 minutes next time. It is a fine balance of getting your cast iron hot enough to crisp the outside, then turning it down to cook the inside.
My dough turned out thin and sticky. Why would that be? I was using a newer discard that was a little thinner. Could that be why? I ended up having to add a little more flour in order to roll them out and allow them to hold their shape.
Update: they turned out delicious anyway! 😋
Do I have to use a cast iron skillet? Can I use just a regular skillet? Or can I just bake them?
A regular skillet is just fine!
I absolutely love these, I’m fairly new to sourdough only a month. These have become a staple. I have a question , could I use whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose or a mixture of both ? Thank you
Yes, you can use whole wheat.
I used cold, unfed, sleepy starter from the fridge, did a 12-hour ferment, and then skipped the baking soda. They puffed up BEAUTIFULLY! My dough was also too thin to roll out, so I just shaped little balls of dough then flattened them and dropped them onto the skillet.
I prefer this recipe over the other sourdough English muffin recipe as they have far more flavor. Because I’m using a cold, unfed starter vs. a fed one, the sourdough flavor is very prominent, which I love. We are making some big batches of English muffin breakfast sandwiches to freeze!
That’s the beauty of a mature starter!
I followed the recipe exactly. But my muffins came out dense and not cooked all the way through. I will be roasting them before I eat them so that should take care of that. But they are dense. I’m used to them being fluffy and airy. The baking soda was from a new packet to I’m not sure what went wrong. Maybe I’ll try the long ferment next time. Would that make them puff up more?
If you ferment them for too long, that could actually make them more dense and not rise as well!
I may have more water in my flour due to the humidity, but I had to add an extra 1 and 1/2 cups of flour. I think 1 cup of water was too much. Either that or my starter was too wet.
I did the quick method and they are delicious! Will be making them again for certain!
Hello!
I use only sprouted whole wheat flour for my sourdough and also to add to whatever recipes I’d like to make…so I’m wondering what adjustments please do I need to make to this recipe, amongst most all of your other recipes please!