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Sourdough English muffins are one of my favourite ways to use a starter — or up some discard — and they're cooked on the hob, no oven required. Split one open with a fork and you get those craggy nooks and crannies that hold a ridiculous amount of melted butter. Soft, tangy and far better than anything shop-bought.
Ingredients
- 350g Shipton Mill strong white flour
- 100g active starter (or discard)
- 200g whole milk, warmed
- 5g fine salt
- 5g sugar
- Fine semolina or polenta, for dusting
Method
- Mix: Stir the starter into the milk, then add the flour, salt and sugar and mix to a soft, sticky dough. Cover and rest 15 minutes, then give it a quick round of folds in the bowl until smoother.
- Bulk ferment: Leave until risen and puffy — about 3–4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight and continue in the morning.
- Cut: Tip onto a well-floured surface, gently pat out to about 2cm thick, and cut out rounds with a cutter (or a glass). Dust both sides generously with semolina and lay on a tray.
- Proof: Cover and leave 45–60 minutes until slightly puffed.
- Cook on the hob: Heat a dry heavy frying pan or griddle over low-medium heat. Cook the muffins 6–8 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through — low and slow is key so the centres set before the outsides burn.
- Cool & split: Cool on a rack, then split them around the middle with a fork (not a knife) to keep all those nooks and crannies intact.
Tip: If the centres still feel doughy, finish them in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes. The semolina coating is what gives that classic gritty, golden base — don't skip it.
Don't waste your discard — and keep a lively starter going. Our live San Francisco sourdough starter is live, and ready to bake in 2 hours.
Shop the Starter →Step-by-step
