Why I’m Still Feeding Sourdough Starter: English Muffins

I remember the rare times my mom brought home those sourdough muffins from the store — in the long sleeve package that we kept in the refrigerator. They were so good, with melted butter. But there were only six in the carton, and before you knew it, they were GONE! It would have been better if she hadn’t bought them! Because now I ached for more.

So, just before summer, in the late spring, I thought I would try to make English Muffins out of the sourdough starter. I was worried that English Muffins would be too fussy, too hard, and that my muffins would end up tasting like rocks. Big mistake — if I was planning to try to retire the sourdough after the kids tasted a made-from-scratch muffing, I was sorely mistaken. These English Muffins were light, sweet, salty, tangy. They were unbelievable. I must make more. The dough is so, easy to work with! You must try these!

I had thought, with the heat of the summer, and the lure of watermelons, that the sourdough starter would be retired for a bit during the summer. Wrong…. these Sourdough English Muffins are our summer staple. We’re eating more meals together, now that school is out, and the boys are reaching for these muffins to make themselves mini pizzas. I found myself making a batch every 8 days or so, to keep up with the demand. So, no more packages of 6 muffins! I have an endless supply

I hope you try these — they go beyond any storebought muffins.

1 cup Sourdough starter
6 cups of flour
2 cups of water
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking soda
4 tablespoons of sugar
cornmeal for dusting

1. In a large bowl combine the starter, water and 4 cups of flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight (7-10 hours). Or, in the refrigerator if you want a longer rise– 24 hours.
2. Add the baking soda, salt, and sugar and gradually add in the remaining flour, until you have a nice dough that is not too sticky, and not too dry. It’s best to use your hands so you can get a feel.
3. Dust the counter with cornmeal, mixed with flour, and roll out the dough to 1/2″ thick.
4. Use a biscuit cutter, or a glass, and cut your muffins.
5. Once all the remaining dough is cut, cover with a towel, and to let rise for about an hour.
6. Heat up a griddle, sprayed with a touch of olive oil. Carefully place the muffins on the griddle and cook the muffins for five minutes on each side.
7. Let cool, and split the muffins, almost all the way through to the other side.

Make these in batches, and keep them halfway-split in the freezer. This makes it easy for the kids to grab for a quick pizza, or a melted butter sandwich.