Sourdough English Muffins

Recipe and method for Sourdough English Muffins.         When the mixing is done the dough should be extra sticky. It should still stick to the sides of the bowl and look like the first picture above. The dough is allowed to proof in the bowl for 2.5 hours. Pour out the dough on a very floured surface. Then iknead just enough to form into a ball (about 5-6 kneads). Then with plenty of flour on top and bottom, roll out to approx 3/8" thickness.

Cut out English Muffins with wide mouth jar band. Then place on a cookie sheet which is covered with a cloth and sprinkled with flour. Let raise one hour.

Pre heat your griddle and oven. Have the griddle heated to about 325 degrees. Place raised muffins on griddle and cook for 7 minutes, turn over and cook another 7 minutes. Adjust heat if the muffins are getting brown too fast. Then take off the muffins and pop into a pre-heated oven (400 degrees)on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 more minutes. Griddle and bake next batch.

Here are the finished and cut open Sourdough English Muffins. Slice, butter...and yum!

Here is a muffin right out of the oven, buttered. Here is a muffin toasted and buttered next morning!

Sourdough English Muffin Recipe In mixing bowl combine: 4 cups sourdough starter 3 Tablespoons light flavored Olive Oil or other vegetable oil 1 Tablespoon Malt Syrup or 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt 2.5 cups warm water 6 - 8 cups flour (1/2 unbleached white and 1/2 bread flour) Process in mixing bowl for about 4 minutes adding flour until consistancy of flour is stickier than for bread, and still sticks to the side of the bowl, see illustration above. Let proof (raise) in bowl for 2.5 hours. Pour dough out onto well floured surface and knead 5-6 times, just enough to gather into a ball. Then flatten the dough ball slightly, with your hands, and make sure there is plenty of flour on the top and bottom of your dough as you roll it out to about 3/8 inch (it is amazing how much this muffin raises while on the griddle!). This dough is very sticky and you will have problems if you don't make sure to keep flour on all sticky surfaces of the dough. Use a wide mouth jar band as a cutter and cut out English muffin shapes. Place on a cookie sheet which has been covered with a proofing cloth and sprinkled well with flour. Let raise for one hour, preheating griddle and oven when the proofing hour is almost done. Cook English muffin dough on the hot (325 degree) griddle for 7 minutes on each side, checking to make sure your muffin isn't getting brown too fast. Adjust heat if necessary. After both side have been griddled, pop the muffins into the preheated hot (400 degree) oven for another 7 minutes and serve with real butter. Cook the remaining dough the same way. This recipe made 32 English muffins.