Recipe

Sourdough English Muffins

Chewy, tangy sourdough English muffins with crisp edges and soft centers, cooked on a griddle for those butter-catching nooks and crannies.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A stack of homemade sourdough English muffins on a wooden cutting board, one muffin split open to show deep nooks and crannies, with a pat of melting butter and a cast iron skillet softly blurred in the background, warm natural morning light, photorealistic food photography

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If you have ever split an English muffin and felt personally betrayed by a tight, bready interior, welcome. We are here for nooks and crannies, the kind that grab melted butter like it owes them money.

These sourdough English muffins are chewy and lightly tangy, with crisp, golden edges from the griddle and a soft center that tears into pockets instead of slicing into neat little bread slices. The secret is not fancy ingredients. It is a wet, shaggy dough, a patient ferment, and a gentle shaping method that keeps air where it belongs.

Bonus: this recipe plays nicely with either an active starter or sourdough discard, as long as you give it enough time to rise.

A close-up of a sourdough English muffin being pulled apart by hands, showing an airy honeycomb interior with distinct nooks and crannies, crumbs on a linen towel, bright kitchen window light, photorealistic food photography

Why It Works

High-hydration dough: A slightly sticky dough helps create an irregular open crumb, which becomes those signature pockets once you fork-split.
Long fermentation: Sourdough time builds flavor and strengthens the dough so it can hold bubbles instead of collapsing.
Minimal handling: We gently shape to keep air in the dough. Overworking pushes out the very holes we want.
Low and steady griddle heat: Cooking around 325°F to 350°F lets the muffins bake through without scorching, so the inside sets with tenderness.
Fork-splitting, not slicing: A knife cuts straight through pockets. A fork pries them open and preserves the craggy interior.

Pairs Well With

Soft Scrambled Eggs
Quick Strawberry Chia Jam
Easy Sausage Gravy
Whipped Honey Butter

Storage Tips

How to Store Them

Room temperature: Keep fully cooled muffins in a sealed bag or container for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is humid, aim for 1 day for best texture.
Refrigerator: Not my favorite because it dries bread faster, but it works for up to 5 days. Toast to revive.
Freezer: The move. Fork-split first, then freeze in a single layer and transfer to a bag for up to 2 months. Toast straight from frozen.
Best reheat: Toast cut-side up until deeply golden. For extra crisp edges, finish with 30 seconds in a hot skillet with a tiny bit of butter.

Common Questions

Can I use sourdough discard?

Yes. If your discard is unfed and sluggish, you will just need a longer rise. Look for the dough to get puffy and jiggly, not necessarily doubled on the clock.

Why did my muffins turn out bready with no nooks?

The usual culprits are too much flour during shaping, overworking the dough, or cutting with a knife. Keep the dough slightly sticky, handle it gently, and fork-split once cooled.

Do I need English muffin rings?

No. Rings help you get very round muffins, but the texture comes from fermentation and gentle handling, not the rings. A biscuit cutter also works, or just cut squares with a bench scraper to avoid compressing edges.

How do I know the griddle temperature is right?

A medium-low burner is usually perfect. If you have an infrared thermometer, aim for 325°F to 350°F on the surface. Too hot browns the outside before the center sets.

Why are my muffins raw in the middle?

Heat was too high, the muffins were too thick, or your pan runs hot. Lower the heat and cook longer, and consider covering the skillet for the first few minutes to help the centers set. You can also finish in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes after griddling.

Can I make the dough overnight?

Yes. After the dough is mixed and has started rising, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it warm up until puffy, then shape and do the final proof.

Can I shape the muffins and proof them overnight?

Yes, with a little planning. Shape, let them sit at room temp for about 20 to 30 minutes to get fermentation going, then cover well and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them sit out until they look puffy and marshmallowy (often 45 to 90 minutes, depending on your kitchen), then cook.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large mixing bowl
Kitchen scale (highly recommended for consistent hydration)
Bench scraper or spatula
Cast iron skillet or flat griddle
Thin metal spatula
Lid for the skillet or a sheet pan to tent (optional but helpful for thick muffins)
Instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)
Fork (for splitting)

The first time I tried making English muffins at home, I treated the dough like it was pizza. I kneaded it into submission, floured the counter like a snowstorm, and sliced them open with a knife like a responsible adult. The result was fine, but it was not the dream.

Then I did the opposite. I kept the dough wetter, handled it less, cooked it slower, and split it with a fork like I was breaking a tiny bread geode. That was the moment. Butter sank into the pockets, the edges crackled on the griddle, and I basically decided store-bought English muffins were on notice.

Sourdough English Muffins

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time Varies (8 to 24 hrs)

Servings 10 muffins

Ingredients

200 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration, bubbly and recently fed) or sourdough discard (expect longer rise)
240 g whole milk, warmed to about 85°F to 95°F (or water)
25 g honey (or sugar)
30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (or neutral oil)
420 g bread flour (all-purpose works, slightly less chewy)
9 g fine sea salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt). If using kosher salt, volume varies by brand: start with about 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher or 2 1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal, then adjust to taste next time.
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional, helps mellow sourness, boosts browning, and can add a touch of lift)
Cornmeal or semolina, for dusting
Neutral oil or butter, for the griddle

Note on flour: If you are measuring by cups, start with about 3 1/4 cups flour and hold back a few tablespoons. The dough should be soft and a bit tacky, not stiff. If using all-purpose flour, you may need to hold back a splash of milk or add a tablespoon or two of flour, depending on your brand.

Yield note: Makes about 10 (3-inch) muffins.

Instructions

Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the starter, warm milk, honey, and melted butter. Add the flour and salt (and baking soda if using). Stir until you have a shaggy, sticky dough with no dry flour patches. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
Strengthen gently. Do 2 to 3 rounds of stretch-and-folds in the bowl (every 10 minutes). The dough should start to look smoother and feel elastic, but it will still be tacky. Cover.
Bulk ferment. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it looks puffy and airy and has grown noticeably, about 6 to 10 hours depending on starter strength and kitchen temperature. If your kitchen is cool, it can take longer. Look for bubbles along the sides of the bowl. If you used baking soda, the dough may move a bit faster.
Chill (optional but helpful). For easier shaping and better flavor, cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 to 12 hours. You can skip this, but cold dough is less sticky and easier to cut without compressing.
Shape without squishing. Dust a sheet pan with cornmeal or semolina. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it gently into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter (about 3 inches) to cut rounds, pressing straight down without twisting. Place on the prepared pan. Rework scraps once: stack and press them together, then pat back out and cut. Do not knead them like pizza dough unless you enjoy reducing your nooks.
Final proof. Cover the muffins and let them rise until slightly puffy and marshmallowy, about 45 to 90 minutes. They should look thicker and feel airy when you nudge the edge. If you are cooking in batches, keep the remaining muffins covered while you cook the first round.
Preheat the griddle. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low. Lightly grease with oil or butter. If you have a thermometer, aim for a surface temp of 325°F to 350°F.
Cook low and steady. Add muffins to the griddle with space between them (you will likely cook in batches). Cook 6 to 8 minutes per side (about 12 to 16 minutes total), until deeply golden. Regulate the heat as you go. If they brown too fast, lower the heat. If your muffins are on the thicker side, cover the pan for the first 2 to 4 minutes to help the centers set without over-browning.
Check doneness. If using an instant-read thermometer, aim for about 200°F in the center (a little above or below is fine). If you prefer a slightly softer muffin, you can pull them closer to 195°F to 200°F.
Optional oven finish. If your muffins are browning nicely but the centers are not done, move them to a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to set the middle without over-darkening.
Cool completely. This part is annoying but important. Let muffins cool at least 30 minutes so the crumb sets and the nooks stay open.
Fork-split for nooks and crannies. Insert a fork around the perimeter, working your way all the way around, then pull apart. Toast and add butter like you mean it.

Several sourdough English muffins cooking on a cast iron griddle, surfaces dusted with semolina, edges turning golden brown, a spatula resting nearby, warm kitchen light, photorealistic food photography

Nutrition information is estimated.

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