Simple No Knead Sourdough English Muffins
These simple no knead sourdough English muffins are easy to make and yield the tastiest nook-and-cranny breakfast muffins.
I bake these English muffins on a weekly basis as part of my weekly sourdough method. This tried-and-true recipe helps keep breakfast time simple and pleasant for my large and bustling family. Top them with a pat of butter and jam, or load them up with fried eggs, bacon, and cheese for a hearty and nourishing breakfast.
What is no knead sourdough?
Instead of mixing up a batch of yeasted dough and having to knead it by hand or machine for several minutes, no knead allows you to skip the kneading step, making it easier while also producing a more flavorful result.
Simply mix up the dough ingredients together in a bowl until no dry flour can be seen and everything is combined, and then cover the dough. The next step is to wait while the bulk fermentation process does all the heavy lifting—developing the gluten proteins and strengthening the dough while it ferments on the counter or in the fridge.
For more details and step-by-step instructions on baking with this method, you can check out my ultimate guide to no knead sourdough right here.
Benefits of no knead sourdough English muffins
- No tiresome kneading process = easy sourdough English muffins
- Much more flavorful
- More digestible than traditional English muffins
- Easy to keep in a weekly rotation by using my Once-a-week No Knead Sourdough Method
How long do these no knead sourdough English muffins take?
There are two options for making these baked sourdough English muffins. You can mix up the dough and put it in the fridge for a 72-hour long cold ferment, or you can make the dough before bed and leave it on the counter overnight for 8-10 hours. The overnight option is great if you want the dough to be ready to bake in the morning.
After fermentation, the process is pretty quick; simply shape, then brown the muffins in the skillet, and then bake them in the oven for about 12 minutes.
How to make no knead sourdough English muffins
For this recipe, you will need 30 grams of sourdough starter discard, or about 3 Tablespoons. Active sourdough starter will also work.
- Mix the dough.
2. Cover and bulk ferment the dough (room temp 8-10 hours, cold/fridge 72 hours).
3. Divide and pre-shape 12 lemon-sized portions into hockey-puck-shaped discs.
4. Rest the dough piece while you get the oven and skillet preheated.
5. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.
6. Melt butter in the skillet to coat the bottom of the pan.
7. Place each shaped dough disc into the hot skillet.
8. Fry the exterior of the muffins about 1-2 minutes or until golden and no longer raw on each side, using a spatula to flip. When each side is golden, transfer each muffin to baking sheet.
9. Bake English muffins to complete the process.
10. Cool, slice, and serve.
See the full recipe below.
Filling ideas for homemade sourdough English muffins
- Butter to melt into those mouth-watering nooks and crannies
- Favorite jams or jellies
- Cinnamon sugar
- Fried eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, or Canadian bacon, and cheese
- Cream cheese
Simplify your baking routine with no knead sourdough
You can use this recipe as a stand-alone, or you can do what I do and follow this Once-a-Week No Knead Sourdough method, which I developed and teach in my online course.
I make a big batch of dough and let it bulk ferment.
Then I pull portions of dough as needed throughout the week to make delicious baked goods like these easy sourdough English muffins, or bagels, sandwich loaves, and more.
This has been a game-changer for keeping up with baking for a large household. It can be hard to stay consistent with from-scratch sourdough baking, especially if you’ve got a crowd to feed. This method keeps fresh and nutritious bread and baked goods fully stocked on a regular basis.
You can access this Once-a-Week No Knead Sourdough course with 26 lessons and 16 videos here, or grab the convenient workbook version here.
Need more sourdough help?
Does sourdough overwhelm you? I’ve been there. That’s why I’ve simplified the process and created these easy-to-follow resources for beginners and experienced bakers alike. When life gets busy, my simple sourdough routines step in to ease your baking burdens!
- New to sourdough? Download my free Quick Start Sourdough Guide to master the key terms and learn the basics of maintaining a healthy starter and using sourdough discard.
- Ready to get baking sourdough bread? My Intro to Sourdough course will walk you through everything you need to know with step-by-step video tutorials. It’s a perfect budget-friendly launching platform into the world of sourdough. Start with a solid foundation of sourdough knowledge for just $27.
- No time? That’s exactly why I developed my Once-a-Week No Knead Sourdough online course. I cut out all the time-consuming and finicky steps involved with sourdough so that busy bakers and overwhelmed sourdough beginners can enjoy baking more often with less work.
- Need help with planning and schedules? Check out my Sourdough Time Planning Workbook, perfect for new or experienced bakers alike! In it, you’ll find 8 ready-to-use templates for classic sourdough breads and enriched doughs, plus a bonus baking journal for tracking your bakes and working with baker’s percentages.
Join the hundreds of bakers who have transformed their sourdough skills and gained confidence with my simplified sourdough processes.
Living Bread Baker posts mentioned
- ultimate guide to no knead sourdough
- Once-a-week No Knead Sourdough Method
- Quick Start Sourdough Guide
- Intro to Sourdough course
- Once-a-Week No Knead Sourdough online course
- Sourdough Time Planning Workbook
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Simple No Knead Sourdough English Muffins
Ingredients
- 340 grams water 1 cup+1/4 cup+3 tbsp
- 10 grams salt 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
- 30 grams sourdough starter discard (old batch) about 3 tbsp (or active starter)
- 60 grams whole wheat flour 1/3 cup+1 and 1/2 tbsp
- 440 grams bread flour 2 and 3/4 cup+3 tbsp
Instructions
- Take your jar of sourdough starter out of the fridge.
- In your extra large mixing bowl, add the water and slowly add the salt.
- Add the sourdough starter discard, after you add the 1⁄2 cup or 100g there should be about a tablespoon or so of sourdough starter left in the jar. Place jar to the side to feed after you mix the dough.
- Add the whole wheat flour and the bread flour to the mixing bowl.
- Stir the ingredients in a circle using a mixing spoon or one hand in a circular motion, stir slowly to minimize flour flying out. Use a dough scraper to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure no dry pieces of flour are left on the sides or bottom of the bowl. Use hands to continue mixing and feel the texture for any dry flour that may be left. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.
- Now that all your flour has been mixed into the water, your mixing step is done! Take a slightly damp paper towel or cloth and wipe the edges of the mixing bowl so that the plastic wrap makes a good seal.
- Cover dough and place in fridge for long cold ferment for 72 hours or leave at room temperature overnight (8-10 hours) to make in the morning.
- Now feed the last bit of sourdough starter left in your jar. Add 1⁄4 cup (50-60g) water then add heaping 1⁄3 cup (50-60g) all-purpose (or bread) flour. Mix well until there’s no dry flour. Make sure to check the sides and underneath the jar. Place your lid back on the jar and loosely seal then leave the jar at room temp for 6-12 hours, then put into the fridge until next week if you’re doing the Once a Week No Knead Sourdough method!
- Preshape: empty dough onto a work surface. Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 70 grams each or roughly the size of a small lemon). To preshape each piece, use the dough scraper and Fold one half of the dough over itself then use a dough scraper to turn and rotate the dough to form a small ball. Try to get your balls of dough as tight as possible. Press them down lightly–they should have a shaped like a hockey puck. Let them rest while the oven preheats for about 30 minutes. (if you aren’t short on time, cover the balls of dough and let them rest for 60-90 mins. to create a more open crumb)
- PREHEAT: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees convection and preheat a skillet over medium heat or medium-low if you are cooking on cast iron* (you may want to adjust once you begin cooking depending on how hot your range gets— propane gas gets very hot and cooking on cast iron requires the pan to fully preheat at a lower temperature since it retains heat very well).
- PREPARE A BAKING SHEET: Put a large square piece of parchment on a baking sheet. This is where you will put your English muffins after they are partially cooked from the skillet.
- MELT BUTTER: Once the skillet has been heating up for 1-3 minutes, add 1/2-1 teaspoon unsalted butter or oil. Use a spatula to spread butter around skillet for a light coating.
- FRY OUTSIDE OF MUFFINS: Place shaped muffins onto the preheated skillet. (How many muffins you add depends on the size of the skillet). Cook the muffins for 1-2 minutes until the cooking side is golden to golden brown and set (no longer doughy), then flip over with a spatula and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the other side has the same appearance. Then carefully transfer the muffins back to the baking sheet.
- BAKE: Once all the muffins are on the baking sheet, bake the muffins for 11-13 minutes until they are puffy and golden brown.
- COOL: Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting each muffin across the center with a bread knife to divide the top from the bottom. Perfect for filling with butter, jam, eggs, or another breakfast sandwich filling!
