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Looking for a quick and easy bake that will add something extra special to your breakfast table? These Easy Sourdough Discard English Muffins don’t even require a mixer!
This sourdough discard recipe will give you English muffins that are tender and soft with a golden brown exterior. Make a batch and enjoy them with butter and homemade jam, or make your own breakfast sandwiches – bacon, egg and cheese anyone?!
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Why You’ll Love Easy Sourdough Discard English Muffins
- Discard Recipe – These English muffins are the perfect way to use up some of your sourdough discard. If you are looking for a 100% sourdough recipe, then try out these Sourdough English Muffins.
- Breakfast Favorite – You’ll love creating this extra special breakfast for your family table. Just like my family’s favorite Light and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes, this is an unforgettable discard breakfast recipe!
- Sweet or Savory – English muffins make the perfect conduit for butter and honey, butter and jam, or a savory breakfast sandwich. If you are looking for a similar bake, try my Flaky Sourdough Biscuits too!
New to Sourdough? If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch and check out my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide. Using naturally fermented sourdough will take much longer, but you will love the fermentation benefits and the flavor!
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – For more sour flavor, use refrigerated discard up to a week or two old. For less sour flavor, use a fresher discard. I always use 100% hydration sourdough discard.
- Cornmeal or Semolina Flour – Cornmeal or Semolina is used to sprinkle on the top and bottom of the English muffin to keep it from sticking to the pans. It also gives the English muffin its unique texture.
- All-Purpose Flour – I used all-purpose flour in this recipe. I think half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour would also work well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Milk: I use 2% or whole milk in this recipe. You can substitute buttermilk for a more “tangy” flavor if desired. You may need to decrease a little flour in the dough if you make that substitution.
- All-Purpose Flour: If you like a chewier English muffin, try substituting bread flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Or substitute half whole wheat flour for a heartier, more flavorful English muffin.
- Instant Yeast: Dry active yeast can also be used. Make sure to activate it before adding it into the dough.
- Sourdough Discard: Active sourdough starter can be substituted for the discard for less sour flavor if desired.
Sourdough Discard Tip: I keep a jar in my fridge that I continually add sourdough discard to. Discard is a by-product of your sourdough starter and there is no reason to throw it away. Instead, use it in incredible sourdough discard recipes where it adds moisture and great flavor. I use older, more tangy discard in savory recipes like these sourdough waffles and young/fresh discard in sweet recipes like my favorite sourdough double chocolate muffins.
How to Make Easy Sourdough Discard English Muffins
Mix The Dough
Step 1: Combine sourdough discard, warm milk, granulated sugar and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl. After the yeast begins to activate, add melted butter, salt and flour.
Step 2: Stir together to combine until a sticky dough forms. No kneading or mixer required!
Step 3: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size. While your dough is rising, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and a generous sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina.
Note: If you want to make these a 100% sourdough recipe instead of using instant yeast, leave it out and let the dough undergo a bulk fermentation in a warm place until just about doubled in size. Proceed with the recipe, shaping the English muffins, letting them puff up and rise again and then baking. You could also use this recipe for 100% sourdough English Muffins.
Shape The English Muffins
Step 4: Use an extra-large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to plop about 85-90 grams of dough onto the cornmeal/semolina. Flip the dough over to coat both sides and gently shape the ball by patting it with your hands so that it is smooth and round.
Step 5: Repeat with remaining English muffin dough, forming 12 English muffins and placing them in a 3 by 4 configuration on the prepared baking sheet (Image on the left). Cover and let rise for about an hour at a warm temperature, or let rise overnight in the refrigerator (Image on the right).
Skillet Cook & Bake
Step 6: Heat a cast iron skillet (or any pan) over medium-low heat and gently place the English muffins into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Return the English muffins to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake the tray of English muffins for about 5-7 minutes at 350ºF until English muffins are baked all the way through. Remove to a wire rack and let cool before serving.
How to Store Leftovers
Once English muffins have cooled, place in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’d like to eat one, pull it out and let thaw or heat in the microwave about 10 seconds. Then slice open and toast.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
Cornmeal/Semolina really helps prevent these English muffins from sticking to the pan or parchment paper. This is a pretty wet and sticky dough, so it’s important to use enough cornmeal or semolina for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but you’ll want to watch your heat closely. English muffins tend to burn if baked completely in a pan, which is why I like finishing them off in the oven. Use a pan with medium-low heat and adjust as needed. Plan for about 5-7 minutes per side until completely baked through.
This is a wetter dough, so you do get some of the nooks and crannies that English muffins are known for. For the biggest chance of holes, split them open with a fork after they have cooled. These are soft and have a delicious crumb. Perfect for toasting, spreading butter or even making quick little pizzas out of them for dinner.
I love adding sourdough discard to many recipes. In some recipes, it enhances the flavor. In some recipes I use it for the moisture and benefits of fermented flour. And some recipes I just want to use up some of my discard and not let it go to waste. For these English muffins, I love the moisture and depth of flavor they bring.
This recipe uses sourdough discard, and it is a wetter dough that doesn’t require a stand mixer, which makes it quick and easy. You aren’t using sourdough for the rise, but rather for the moisture and flavor. My Sourdough English Muffin recipe uses a dough that is kneaded in a mixer. It is a stronger dough with gluten development and uses sourdough for the rise, not instant or dry active yeast. I really like both recipes and use them both depending on my timing.
I would mix up the dough the night before. Let it rise and refrigerate the dough. Scoop the dough out in the morning, let it rise again and then bake them. You could also mix up the dough, let it rise, shape the english muffins and then stick them in the refrigerator to finish rising overnight (this works with a discard recipe). The next morning, let them finish their rise if needed and then bake them.
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard English Muffins or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard English Muffin Recipe
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Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 150 grams sourdough discard, heaping 1/2 cup
- 340 grams warm milk, about 1 1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon
- 30 grams granulated sugar, about 2 Tablespoons
- 10 grams instant yeast, about 1 Tablespoon
- 45 grams unsalted butter, melted (about 3 Tablespoons)
- 10 grams salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 475 grams all-purpose flour, about 3 2/3 cup
- cornmeal or semolina for shaping, about 1/2 cup
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sourdough discard, warm milk, granulated sugar and instant yeast. Let the instant yeast activate for a minute. You will notice a yeasty smell and the yeast beginning to dissolve. Add melted butter, salt and flour. Stir together to combine until the dough is completely combined. The dough will feel fairly wet – this is normal. Cover with a bowl cover or plastic wrap and set in a warm place.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. This may take a little bit longer if your sourdough discard is cold – making the dough colder. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the parchment paper with cornmeal, leaving a generous pile toward the bottom of the baking sheet.
- Use a large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop about 85-90 grams of dough onto the pile of cornmeal/semolina. Flip the ball of dough over so it is covered on both sides. Cup your hands around the dough and apply pressure while rotating your hands to gently shape the ball into a smooth round. Place the shaped dough on the far end of the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough until all 12 english muffins have been formed and are in a 3 by 4 grid on the baking sheet. Cover the dough and let rise until puffed up, about an hour.Note: At this point you can stick the dough in the refrigerator to rise for a few hours or overnight if you don't want to bake them right away.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a skillet over medium-low heat. Gently place the English muffins into the pan, cooking for about 3 minutes per side before flipping and baking on the other side. The outside of the English muffins will bake, leaving the inside slightly doughy and raw. Put the English muffins on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all the English muffins have been skillet-cooked. Place the pan of English muffins in the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes until English muffins are baked all the way through – about 200ºF. Let cool and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are SO GOOD and so easy to make! I’ve loved English muffins my whole life and now that I am baking sourdough, I have discard to use. These are a great way to use up some of the discard. I follow the recipe exactly, brown them in a cast iron skillet, and then bake them for 7 minutes. I fork them to partially split them as they are cooling. The rise that occurs in the skillet is amazing! I love this recipe-thanks so much for making it available.
Thanks for the review! I’m glad they turned out great.
I love all of your recipes. They always turn out great. Could these be baked as a loaf? Would you have baking recommendations for that? Also, how long do you recommend warming the muffins before cooking if you refrigerate the dough for 24 hours first. Thank you!
I’m not sure how to go about baking this as a loaf, as they are meant to be baked partially in the pan and then baked in the oven. It’s an interesting idea though – maybe the next hybrid loaf like the bagel bread?
And if you do your second rise in the refrigerator, I would just let them come to room temperature and make sure they are fully proofed (probably about an hour or two?)
How can I make a loaf of this instead of individual muffins?
That’s such a fun idea! The tricky part is that English muffins get their signature texture from being cooked on the stovetop first and then finished in the oven. That pan-cooking step is what creates the crust and those classic nooks and crannies, so baking the dough straight as a loaf would give you a very different result.
If you’re looking for something sliceable with a similar flavor and soft texture, I’d recommend using the dough to make a sandwich-style loaf instead (baked fully in a loaf pan), but just know it won’t have quite the same English muffin crumb.
Now you’ve got me thinking though… an English muffin-inspired loaf might need to happen!
Made these before with no issue. Pulled them out of the fridge after an overnight and they all are flat. Trying to learn. Not sure what happened.
They might have overproofed? Next time, try refrigerating a little earlier in the proof and make sure the dough feels slightly puffy—but not fully risen—before chilling. You’re on the right track!
Love this recipe!! If not wanting to freeze would you recommend leaving on counter in closed container or the fridge?
I always recommend putting bread (and muffins) in a sealed bread bag or airtight container or freezing. The fridge tends to dry bread out, so I only use the fridge for bread if there are perishable ingredients or toppings.
Super easy and tasty. I made them using 200g whole wheat flour and 250g AP flour. I will use whole wheat again! I ended up having to bake them about twice as long with the ww flour but other than that, they turned out great!
Yum! Thanks for the review.
These are easy and delicious!
Agreed! Thanks for the review.
A nice & easy recipe to use up discard, thanks for sharing. I have them in the pan now; once I put them in the oven, how could I know they are definitely cooked through please? Any tips?
The best way to know if they are fully baked is by using a thermometer to check the internal temperature. English muffins are fully baked when the internal temp hits about 200–205°F (93–96°C). That matters way more than color, since they stay pale and cook slowly in the center. Happy baking!
Thanks Amy🌹
And thanks Erika
You’re welcome!
Mine took longer to bake to get to 200 F internally – is that. normal?
It can be. Different ovens tend to bake hotter or cooler, so it is definitely possible to need more or less time to account for variability in ovens.
Simple and very tasty!
Thank you for the review!