From my bestselling book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, this soft, squishy overnight sourdough English muffins recipe is naturally leavened with active sourdough starter. Mix the dough at night and cook fresh on the stovetop for breakfast. Perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Recipe yields 10-12.
Who doesn’t love a warm, toasted English muffin with melted butter brushed into every nook and cranny?!
This sourdough English muffin recipe gets it right: tender and springy, with an addictive chewy bite. They’re cooked in a skillet (no oven needed) and surprisingly simple to make at home. The process echoes that same artisan feel as my beginner sourdough bread recipe.
Why Make Your Own?
Real ingredients. 100% all natural. Plus, using active sourdough starter and an overnight rise means better flavor, easier digestion, and none of the preservatives found in most store-bought English muffins. We love them toasted with Bonne Maman strawberry jam, or as vessels for prep-ahead breakfast egg sandwiches. The golden, crunchy edges are the best.
What Sets My Recipe Apart
- Easy, overnight dough with minimal hands-on time
- Clear, step-by-step instructions with tips to master the heat
- Soft texture and tangy depth of flavor, just like my popular sourdough focaccia recipe.
How To Make Sourdough English Muffins {Step-By-Step Recipe}
- Make the dough: Start by gently heating the milk, water, and butter just until melted, not boiling. Let it cool a bit.
- Combine the warm mixture with your starter, sugar, flour, and salt.
- Mix until shaggy, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Then work the dough into a ball (it doesn’t have to look perfect).
- Bulk Rise: Cover and let the dough rise on your counter @ 70 F (21 C) for 8-10 hours, then pop it in the fridge. The cold firms up the dough for easier shaping. Or, skip the chill step and make this recipe straight through.
- Shape & rise again: Flatten the dough into a rough, rectangular shape.
- Cut into rounds using a drinking glass or biscuit cutter.
- Place onto a lined sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina flour to prevent sticking. Let them puff up for about an hour or more.
- Cook low & slow: Cook in a covered non-stick skillet until golden and springy, flipping once. When ready, your English muffin should feel lightweight and the sides should spring back when pressed gently.
- To serve, split open with fork to expose their beautiful, craggy holes.
Tip: English muffins need low, steady heat (like sourdough pancakes). Too hot, and the outsides will burn before the center cook through. Do a test batch first, or use dough scraps to really understand your heat. If they’re browning too fast, finish them in a low oven at 250 F (130 C) to avoid gummy centers. I test almost everything I cook, from fresh homemade pasta, gnocchi, ravioli, meatballs and more. It’s really helpful.
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Super Soft Sourdough English Muffins {Overnight Recipe}
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Category: Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This sourdough English muffin recipe is made with bubbly, active sourdough starter, flour, water, salt, a touch of butter and milk to enrich the dough. Take a moment to enjoy the aroma of this dough as it rises- truly wonderful! Make the dough during the day when you have time, and then chill overnight in the refrigerator once fully risen. Don’t forget to lightly oil your plastic wrap when chilling the dough overnight (this prevents the dough from sticking to the top). In the morning, all you have to do is shape and cook the English muffins, which are best enjoyed on the same day they’re made.
Ingredients
- 245 g ( 1 cup plus 1 tsp) milk, whole or 2%
- 120 g (1/2 cup) water
- 56 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
- 75 g (heaped 1/3 cup) active sourdough starter
- 24 g (2 tbsp) sugar
- 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) all purpose flour
- 9 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
- Cornmeal or semolina flour, for dusting
Instructions
Make the dough: in a small saucepan, warm the milk, water and butter together. Cool slightly before adding to the dough. In a large bowl, add the sourdough starter and sugar. Pour in the warm milk mixture while whisking to combine. Add the flour and salt. Mix with a fork to form a rough dough, and then finish by hand to fully incorporate the flour. Cover with a damp towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, return to the bowl and work the dough into a semi-smooth ball.
Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature 70 F (21 C) until double in size, about 8-10+ hours. Once risen, chill overnight in the fridge. Or, jump to the next step for same-day preparation.
Shape: Remove the cold dough onto a floured work surface. Rest for 10 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper; sprinkle generously with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
With floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangular shape, about 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thick. Cut into 10-12 rounds using the rim of a 3 or 5 inch drinking glass, large jar or biscuit cutter. Place the rounds onto your sheet pan and dust the tops with cornmeal.
Second Rise: Cover the dough with a damp towel or inverted rimmed sheet pan. Let rest at room temperature until noticeably puffy, about 1 hour or more depending on temperature.
Cook The English Muffins: Warm a large, non-stick skillet over low heat. Do a test batch: place one round of dough into the pan. Cover with a lid. Cook on one side for 8-10 minutes, checking at the halfway mark for even browning. Lower the heat if necessary. Flip the dough over, cover, and cook the other side for 8-10 minutes. Repeat to cook the rest of the dough. When the English muffins are ready, they should feel lightweight and the sides should spring back when pressed gently. *See Notes below.
Notes
If you find that your English muffins are cooked on the outside, but slightly undercooked in the center, finish them in a low oven @ 250 F (130 C) until cooked through.
Comments
nancy says
I’m having trouble getting this fought to ride. I’m on 10 hours now. Any suggestions?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Nancy! Sourdough dough needs 3 factors in order to rise: a strong, active starter, warm temperature and time. All 3 factors work together. Start with your starter: is it active? Did it pass the float test? Then move on to temperature: what is your current ambient temperature? Can you find a warmer spot, ideally 70-75 F for the dough to rise? Finally, consider time: if the temperature is cold and your starter is sluggish, your rise time will be considerably long. This works in the reverse too (when it’s warm and your starter is strong, the rise will accelerate). Review your process and make changes as needed. Hope this helps.
Shatan says
I would just like to bake in the oven. What temp and timing do you recommend?
Temre says
I want to do the same thing. When we did them at the big bakery I worked at, it was 350 with a pan on top to brown both sides. It was a rotating oven so it’ll vary with a home oven. I’m waiting for my last proof and then I’m going to bake off half in the oven and try the stove with the remaining ones.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I’m curious: did you experiment with this? How did it go?
Temre says
It didn’t work well at all. They ended up more like a crumpet. Any steam that was created seeped out. I miss the rotating steam ovens. I will be trying it again but a different method and when I figure it out I’ll let you know.
Emilie Raffa says
Interesting. Yeah, it sounds like the rotating steam ovens are key for the baked version. I appreciate you circling back!
Emilie Raffa says
Great question. I’ve never baked English muffins in the oven before, so I’m unable to advise with specifics (however, a baker in this thread has done so in a bakery and is experimenting in their home oven). If you experiment too, let me know and I’ll update the notes here.
Judy says
Just made these. Turned out perfect. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome Judy!
AJ says
Fantastic recipe, Emilie!! They turned out exceptionally good! When I had the dough in the fridge, I had the bowl a little too close to the cooling unit so the dough was on the verge of frozen.. if this ever happens to anyone else, just take it out and when you do your 10 min rest on your floured surface.. let it come closer to room temperature before you flatten it out to make your rounds. I was nervous, but they turned out just beautiful! Lesson learned on the fridge shelf! haha.
Negan says
Is the dough supposed to fall when I put it in the fridge? Or did I over proof?
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds like it was over proofed (rose for too long). Next time, either put the dough in the fridge sooner before it’s fully risen or start the process later in the day.
Renee Smith says
I stupidly put it in the fridge before bulk fermented. Will the cause a problem. I pulled it out after a couple of hours
Emilie Raffa says
Not at all! You can easily fix this. Just continue to let the dough rise at room temperature as needed, and then continue from there.
Megan says
Could I substitute coconut sugar or honey for the sugar? Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Megan! I would just omit the sugar altogether. I haven’t tested coconut sugar or honey. It will still taste delicious!
Kim says
Made your Irish soda bread- had to use yogurt, added lemon and orange zest and a bit of extra butter and substituted brown sugar for white. It was delicious and the texture was crumbly but soft! It is going to be fun to play with! Your instructions are excellent- first time I successfully got a starter to go!
Emilie Raffa says
Ooo… that sounds really delicious! Love the zest. Thanks for sharing Kim! I’m glad you liked the recipe 🥰
Marianne Grieve says
Where is your soda bread recipe? Can’t find it! Made the English muffins today. Came out great!
Nancy says
Hi there! do I have to chill the dough?
Emilie Raffa says
Technically, no. You can can skip the chill if you want. The recipe is designed this way for convenience to shape and cook the muffins in the morning. But it’s just one way to do it!
Stefanie says
If I skip the chill step, do I still need to let them rise covered for an hour?
Kandice Austin says
I didn’t realize how easy these English muffins were to make. I doubled the batch and froze some of them. They are way better than store bought. Very yummy!
Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Excellent! You’re very welcome Kandice! 🥰
Gina Thor says
When I weigh the flour, 500g isn’t even four cups, let alone 4 cups, 2 Tbsp.
Which measurement should I use?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! In baking, go by weight for best results. Because we all measure differently (i.e. packing flour into a cup vs. lightly spooning and leveling it) you and I will both get a different weight. This is why baker’s use standard conversion charts to get everyone on the same page. Weights are constant and consistent.
Amy D says
We made these today & they were delicious, so light & fluffy! For the second rise, we let them rise an extra hour because they weren’t puffy after the 1st hour. (Very cold here today❄️) With leftover dough we cut out a few extras. Will be making these again!
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic! And it’s great that you gave the dough more time to rise based on your current ambient temperature. You always have to make adjustment when the seasons change and the temperature cannot be controlled. Well done!
Carol Ann says
These have turned out wonderfully both times I’ve made them. I’m new to sourdough, but Emilie gives you all you need to be successful with this recipe.
Top notch recipe, Emilie!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you so much- really appreciate your kinds words! 🥰
Teresa Wadleigh says
LOVE this recipe! Turned out perfect on the first try (and it’s only my third sourdough “project”). The instructions and tips are GREAT! I actually weighed out balls of dough, and then hand-shaped them. They turned out beautiful on the outside (just like the ones from the store), and they are super soft inside. I want another one so bad, but am saving some for hubby and his friend for their breakfast meeting tomorrow. Will be making this again for sure!
Emilie Raffa says
Teresa, thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! Sounds like they came out amazing 🥰
Jane says
How long is too long to let them rise after coming out of fridge?
Stefanie says
These are so delicious! I even forgot to put them in the fridge before bed and they still turned out great. I made a different recipe for english muffins a few years ago and they were meh… not worth the work, but I’m glad I tried this recipe because it was definitely worth it! The flavor is so complex and the texture is incredible.
Patricia says
I’d like to add a little bit of whole wheat & whole rye flours, but still maintain a fluffy crumb w/o getting grain-dense. How much AP flour would you recommend subbing out?….about 20% or is that too much?
Mary Wright says
I am about to make these and am confused by the directions for the second rise which mentions placing the rising muffins on top of the oven while it warms up….why is the oven even turned on as these are cooked in a skillet on the stovetop?
I guess I’ll wing the second rise.
Gabby says
Do you have the nutritional values/ info on these please?
I’m going to give them a go and would love to know.
Thanks x
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Gabby! Unfortunately, because I’m not a nutritionist, I’m unable to include those details on my site at this time. An online calculator will work. 🥰
Lori says
Can I substitute bread flour or gluten free 1:1 flour for the all purpose flour?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You can substitute with bread flour. However, the texture will change slightly, creating a more chewy English muffin. Unfortunately, 1:1 GF flour won’t work.
Karen says
Hi Emilie,
As always, great recipe. Made a batch yesterday, my first try at English muffins and they’re perfect. I cooked mine in my favorite well seasoned cast iron frying pan.
I really want to make a batch with cinnamon and raisins. Do you have any idea if I could do that with this recipe? Any idea how much I would add if it’s doable?
Laura says
Mine turned out heavy and I felt like we’re not cooked in the middle. I did 8 min on each side on low. The flavor is good but the consistency seems off
Lauren says
These do come out tasting very much like a classic english muffin! I ran into some quirks in the recipe, namely the oven/stovetop issue – in some parts of the blog post it says oven, but the recipe is clearly pan fried. And also, as the word “Knead” is not in the text at all, I gather this is a No-Knead recipe which I love! (Emily, you should tag it that way and mention it in the text).
I also subbed olive oil for most of the butter – and one more suggestion to anyone reading this: If you are not a muffin purist, why not make squares? Then you have easy sandwich muffins, LOL and no fretting with the scraps between the circles. I’m all for easy. Tastes the same and saves you lots of time.
Emily says
I love this advice and I just threw out my scraps. I will do squares next time!
Virginia K says
Hi Emilie,
I bought your book and this is the first recipe I’m doing from it. (I have a few others marked to be next.)
I weighed everything. My starter is strong and it was very bubbly and active. It’s wetter than I expected. I wasn’t sure on the “work into a semi-smooth ball”. It didn’t come into a ball. I just figured it needs to rise first. I came to your site in hopes of picture and more info. Now I see my dough doesn’t look like it should in a ball. I wonder if I could knead it before putting it in the fridge overnight. Maybe I’ll get lucky and someone will reply before I get to that part. 🤞🏻
Diane says
I do not have any no stick skillets, only cast iron and all clad. How would I brown the english muffins?
Julie Churchvara says
I cook mine on my blackstone, they come out perfect!!
Regan says
Great idea! Can’t wait to try this. What do you use to cover them with?
G Harris says
Made my first batch of sourdough English muffins. My dough is too wet. I have reduce the hydration a tad but I not sure how and by how much.
Maria Weigel says
Hi! This recipe went well- I am bulk proofing now- question- is there a way to form the muffins from rested/flattened balls of dough? Instead of rolling and cutting rounds?
Amanda V. says
I love this recipe! If I want to add blueberries would I add before the over night rise?
Emilie Raffa says
Oooo yum! To clarify, were you thinking of using dried blueberries (as opposed to fresh)? If so, I would add them after the first 30 minute rest.
Julie says
maybe trying to experiment with your wonderful sourdough recipes in the middle of the central california heatwave isn’t the best idea. on both the English muffins and the focaccia, the dough over proofed. i read what you told someone else about using a container that has measurements on it, but are there other indicators that it’s properly proofed? the English muffin dough only proofed for 5 hours and that was too much. and by the time it did the overnight in the refrigerator, it was not going to perform well. our house in the summer is between 70 – 75° F. thank you. i’m not giving up!!
Emilie Raffa says
I can 100% relate to this. The success of your bread will always vary based on the current season and ambient room temperature. It’s definitely a learning curve, especially in hot weather! In your case, you did the right thing. You shortened the rise time based on your specific ambient temperature (even though the rise time could’ve be shortened further- this is OK). If you don’t have a dough tub with measuring marks, you can rise the dough in a regular bowl. Monitor it until the dough rises to almost double in size. It should look puffy and slightly domed on top. This is harder to judge, but it’s doable with practice and patience. Additionally, try using cooler liquid in your initial dough mix and/or letting it rise in a cooler spot if possible.
Ruth says
Any known to work milk replacements? Can I just use almond milk?
Emilie Raffa says
I haven’t tested this recipe with almond milk, but I don’t see why not! The texture might change but only slightly. If you experiment, let me know how it goes :)
Ruth says
I used almond milk with no issue!
Emilie Raffa says
Great! Thanks for the update :)
Marcie Holcomb says
These english muffins are fantastic! I tried a lot of recipes. Most were too wet. Maybe my fault. Found one that I was able to work with the dough. Then I tried this recipe. These are so great! They puff up when cooking. Works best for me in my cast iron pan. Had to turn the heat down after a couple batches. These are so beautiful I can’t believe I made them. Cooked the muffins today while a loaf of sandwich bread was in the oven. Thanks so much for the recipes.
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic! This is such great feedback, thank you. Thrilled you like it :)
Diane says
Made the dough, followed instructions except for leaving it in the refridge for 24 hours, now it is deflated. Can I leave it at room temp until it rises again? I guess I have no choice but to try :)
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Diane! Sounds like the dough over proofed (24 hours in the fridge at full bulk is too long). I would make focaccia instead! Here’s my recipe: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2022/04/best-sourdough-focaccia-bread-recipe/
Debbie Kleinberg says
I want to make these using whole wheat flour. Can I substitute 1 for 1? What are the adjustments I should make please?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I wouldn’t sub 1:1. The dough might be too dry, which will create a different crumb structure and texture. Try swapping 15-20% whole wheat flour adding additional liquid if the dough seems too stiff.
Patricia says
Hi Emilie, I’m excited to make these! Please clarify couple of items:
1) what function/benefit does the heated milk have?
2) in the recipe description: “In terms of preparation, you can make the dough during the day when you have time, and then chill overnight in the refrigerator once fully risen”….I’m reading that to mean the dough needs to be fully risen first before placing in frig?….i.e. once fully risen, then chill overnight in frig? Is that correct or does dough become fully risen overnight in frig?
Thanks very much! ~ Patricia
Darla says
I made them their beautiful! I’m so excited
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! So glad to hear this!
Brooke says
Hi there, I followed the recipe step by step and I noticed my dough hasn’t doubled in size/rised. I kept the dough in my oven and kept checking the temperature (70-75). It’s been about 16 hours, should I toss the dough and try again? Maybe my sourdough starter isn’t active enough? Any ideas is helpful and thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Brooke! Since your ambient temperature is warm enough, it sounds like it’s your sourdough starter. Perhaps it wasn’t fully active. I would feed your starter for a couple of days to build up its strength and then try again. Additionally, consider rising the dough in a small, high sided dough tub with measuring marks. This way you can visually track the dough’s growth as it begins to rise.
Kristina says
Hi! Is there any downside to leaving the dough in the fridge longer? It might be closer to 24 hours before I’m ready to use it.
Emilie Raffa says
The only downside is the risk of over proofed dough. You’ll know it’s over proofed when the dough starts to collapse in some spots after being fully risen. However, if you need 24 hours in the fridge, shorten the bulk rise at room temperature to 50-75% of so, and then chill. You can always continue rising the dough at room temperature the next day, if needed.
Julia says
I’m a little confused by this: “Let rise at room temperature defined as 70 F (21 C) until double in size, about 8-10+ hours. Once risen, chill overnight in the fridge.”. So, would I need to prepare my dough early in the day so it can rise 8-10 hours, and then chill the dough overnight another 8-10 hours before cooking the next morning? Or can I let the dough rise overnight and skip the chilling and just cook first thing in the morning?
Emilie Raffa says
You can do both! Chilled dough is just a little easier to work with. However, you can do an overnight rise, skip the fridge, and cook first thing in the AM.
Julia says
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try this one :)
Jaime O says
This was my question. I mixed my dough at 9:30 AM. It’s risen about 50% at 75 degrees temp in 9.5 hours. (7:00 PM)
Nice dome top.
Should I put in fridge until 6:00 AM? Then proceed with shaping and sitting another hour before cooking?
Do we really need it to double in size? I may need a bigger proofing container 😆
Rachel says
What type of milk is best? I currently have Fairlife 2% milk (which is a lactose free milk) and wasn’t sure if this would work.
Emilie Raffa says
This should work fine. I normally use whole milk because that’s what we have but 2% works too!
Erin says
I made these and they turned out great. The only issue I ran into was the moisture of the dough. I measured everything with a kitchen scale using grams, but the dough was still very, very sticky. I live in the Caribbean, so I think the humid climate may have had something to do with that. I added more flour, and problem solved.
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely. Humidity, and/or any increase in temperature will effect the texture of the dough. But you solved the issue correctly by adding more flour to soak up the extra moisture. Well done! PS: in addition to stickiness, if you found that the dough temperature was too warm as well, cool it down in the fridge briefly before adding it to the dough. This will help control the stickiness too.
Carrie says
Can you freeze them?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes! They freeze really well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Defrost at room temperature. Warm or toast to enjoy!
Carrie says
Thanks! Making them now
Laura says
Guessing a well-seasoned cast iron pan is okay to use, too, if the test batch is a success? Or is nonstick the best method? Thank you.
Marilyn says
Hello Emily. I am going to make the dough today, but I am a little confused about the recipe. It says “oven baked” at the top of the recipe and you mention letting the muffins rise in the pan on the stove while it is heating. Then the directions are for the muffins to be cooked on the stove top. Is the oven on just in case they need to be heated to finish cooking? Please forgive if this is a rather dumb question, but I am new to sourdough I have made your artisan and sandwich bread, which are both amazing. Just want to get this one right.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Marilyn! Not a dumb question at all. Good eye. It’s actually a typo in the recipe card. The English muffins are cooked on the stove-top (and I’ve made the correction to reflect this). Enjoy!
Marilyn says
Thank you so much for responding. Perfect timing. I took the dough out early this morning (beautiful dough, by the way) and just finished cooking. They are absolutely beautiful and taste marvelous. We have family over for a “late” brunch. Big thumbs up from everyone! Great, great recipe.
Emilie Raffa says
Ahhhh love this! And thanks so much for circling back to share your feedback. I’m thrilled you enjoyed them :)
Dolly Hunt says
I have your book at your steps and recipes are awesome 💚🌱💚
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you so much Dolly!
Jeanette Hernandez says
They came out amazing , followed all the steps, but I did forget salt haha . I’m almost done cooking them all . I already ate one with jelly . I’ll be saving your recipe forever