This sourdough English muffin bread makes THE perfect toast. It’s also a superb companion to salted butter and homemade jam or preserves!
English muffins, though worth the effort, can be a bit time-consuming to make. On the other hand, sourdough English muffin bread is a one-shot bake! It’s a springy, coarse-textured loaf perfect for slicing and toasting. All of the English muffin glory with none of the fuss!
About Some Of The Ingredients For Sourdough English Muffin Bread:
- Milk – You can use cow’s milk or plant-based milk. Both work well in this recipe.
- Bubbly, active sourdough starter – To make English muffin bread you need sourdough starter that has been recently fed. You’re looking for bubbles and the texture of melted marshmallows when you stir. We recommend feeding your starter 8-12 hours before you want to bake this bread. To learn more about sourdough starter visit this post called How To Make A Sourdough Starter. For the loaf you see in these photos, we used a rye sourdough starter. If you are using a regular all-purpose flour starter, your bread will look more like a light whole wheat bread than ours.
- Flour – White flour gives the bread springiness, while whole wheat flour adds texture and depth of flavour. You can make the recipe with all white flour for a lighter bread. If you use all whole wheat flour the bread will be more heavy and dense.
- Baking Powder – Baking powder adds a little extra lightness to the batter, and helps develop the classic nooks and crannies similar to an English muffin.
The Importance Of Using A Scale
We can’t stress enough the importance of using a scale for this recipe. We’ve measured sourdough starter by both weight and volume on several different occasions and have gotten completely different results each time. For sourdough English muffin bread the level of hydration matters. Weighing your ingredients on a scale ensures that exactly 245 grams of sourdough starter is added to the dough.
An Easy Way To Proof Sourdough English Muffin Bread
To create a makeshift proofer for your sourdough English muffin bread (or any other bread), place the dough inside the oven inside its covered bowl or loaf tin. Turn the oven on to 400ºF / 205ºC, close the door, and preheat the oven for 1 minute. When the time is up, immediately turn the oven off. The initial heat produced will create a perfect temperature and environment for proofing bread. Don’t open the door unless you need to!
How To Store And Reheat This Bread
- If you make your bread with plant milk, it will store well at room temperature cut-side down on a cutting board for a couple of days. You can also keep it in a clay römertopf on the counter, or in a ziploc bag in the fridge for a few days. (affiliate link)
- If you make your bread with dairy, it will only keep for one day on the counter (same storage method as plant-based milk), or in the fridge for a few days.
- To freeze, slice the bread and store it in a ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
- To reheat your bread we recommend toasting. Toasted and slathered with butter or homemade jam is our favourite way to eat this bread!
Homemade Jam And Preserves That Would Be Perfect On Toasted English Muffin Bread!
Small Batch Maple Rhubarb Cardamom Jam
Sourdough English Muffin Bread
This sourdough English muffin bread makes THE perfect toast and is a superb companion to salted butter and homemade jam or preserves. English muffins, though worth the effort, can be a bit time-consuming to make. Sourdough English muffin bread, on the other hand, is a one-shot bake that leaves you with a springy, but coarsely-textured loaf that’s perfect for slicing and toasting. It’s all the English muffin glory with none of the fuss, and we can guarantee that this toasty gem will be a mainstay in your mornings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (cow or plant milk both work), gently warmed until lukewarm
- [1-1/4 (245 g) scant cups bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 1-1/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (125 g) whole wheat flour
- 1-1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp water
Instructions
- On the stove top or in a microwave, warm the milk until lukewarm to the touch. Transfer it into a large bowl and add the starter. Stir to combine.
- To the same bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and sugar and, using a dough wisk or your hands) mix to form a sticky, wet dough. Cover with a lid and set aside in a warm, draft-free environment until doubled in size, about 2-3 hours. See notes.
- Once doubled, sprinkle in the baking powder and water and stir until thoroughly combined. The dough will get deflated; that’s ok. Transfer dough to a greased 8- by 4-inch loaf pan and smooth it out as best as possible with the back of a spoon. Cover with a tea towel and place back in a warm, draft-free environment to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake until golden brown and bread begins to pull away from the pan, approximately 35-40 minutes. Alternatively, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre of the loaf should read between 196°F and 200°F when ready. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before cutting into it.
- Bread is best served toasted, warm, and slathered with your favourite spread.
Notes
If you have a scale, I can’t recommend enough the importance of using it here. I’ve measured starter by weight and volume on several different occasions and I’ve gotten completely different results. In this recipe, the hydration matters. Weighing your ingredients ensures that (the ever so important) 245 g of sourdough starter is added to the dough.
To make a makeshift proofer for proofing your bread, place the dough inside the oven (inside its covered bowl or loaf pan). Turn the oven on to preheat and set the time for 1 minute. When the time is up, immediately turn the oven off. The initial heat produced will create the perfect temperature for proofing your bread.
This bread is best served toasted, warm, and slathered with your favourite spread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 164Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 807mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
If you make this recipe, let us know by tagging @baked_theblog + #bakedtheblog on Instagram! We love to feel like we’re in the kitchen with you.
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