Recipe – Sourdough Whole Wheat English Muffins

My sourdough whole wheat English muffins are a hit in this house. I think it might actually be Booker’s favorite thing that I bake! And Minhan has, on more than one occasion, asked me to make these three times in a row. Originally, I developed this recipe using just all-purpose flour. However, I found a way to get a better flavor by tweaking the recipe and substituting almost 50% of the flour with whole wheat flour. Now, the flavor is nuttier and, thanks to my sourdough culture, deeper as well.

The Dough

Creating 100% whole wheat bread that has great texture and flavor is really difficult. Going above 50% messes with the texture a bit too much for me. The wheat cuts through the gluten strands too much and the dough loses its springiness, leading to a cardboard-like texture. But 40-50% whole wheat flour still creates a dough that is easy to knead and has great texture.

Here’s what the dough should look like after kneading:

To begin developing the sourdough flavor, proof the dough overnight either at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on the weather. It should double in size:

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The next day, weigh the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces. Using a tiny bit of flour for each portion, roll the individual dough pieces into rough balls. Don’t worry about making the balls completely smooth. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top – it will help the dough not stick to the skillet during the frying process. During proofing, they will smooth themselves! Just take a look at the picture on the right, where the dough has been proofed for 4 hours:

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Frying the Dough

English muffins are fried on a griddle or skillet. I use a wide spatula to transfer the dough balls from the work surface to the lightly oiled skillet. Once, I tried using tongs and ended up with football-shaped muffins! We like our English muffins poofy, so I don’t flatten them on the skillet. Eight minutes on each side over medium heat, then a couple minutes on a cooling rack! If it’s your first time making these, I suggest frying one first as a test to see if your skillet is the right temperature. The bottoms should turn somewhat brown, but shouldn’t burn.

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Here’s what the final pile looks like:

Minhan suggested I showcase what I made with these English muffins. I fried an egg over easy and put it on top of avocado and a bit of shredded cheese and black pepper. Finished it off with some deli meat that I also lightly fried. Yum!

Sourdough Whole Wheat English Muffins

Materials:

• 1 cup (~220g) plant-based milk
• 1 tsp yeast
• 2 tbsp (~35g) maple syrup
• 2 tbsp (20g) olive oil
• 200g whole wheat flour
• 250g artisan bread flour (plus a little more for dusting)
• 1 tsp salt  
• 150g sourdough culture

Methods:

1. Prepare the sourdough culture, feed it, and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day.
2. Make the dough by adding milk, yeast, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, flour, and the starter culture in a mixing bowl fitted for a stand mixer. Mix on low until a dough forms. You can also knead by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.
3. Knead by hand for a few minutes until the dough is pliable and forms a ball.
4. Add a little bit of olive oil to the stand mixer bowl, swirl, and plop the dough in. Cover and proof for a couple of hours at room temperature, then overnight in the fridge. If the weather is cool, proof at room temperature overnight and skip step 5.
5. The next day, allow the dough to come back to room temperature.
6. Weigh and divide dough into 16 equal parts (~60g each).
7. Sprinkle flour on a working surface. Roll the individual dough parts with a tiny bit of flour until it forms a ball. Plop on a bit of flour at least 2 inches apart. 
8. After all 16 dough balls are formed, sprinkle a little bit of flour on the top of each dough ball. Let proof ~2-4hr until almost doubled in size.
9. Add a thin layer of olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer.
10. Add the dough balls to the heated oil. Don’t crowd the skillet! Make sure the dough doesn’t stick to the skillet by moving the oil underneath the dough balls.
11. After ~8min on the first side, use a spatula to flip the dough and cook ~8min on the other side. Cool on a rack.

A Bit of History of English Muffins

In 1880, Samuel Bath Thomas opened a bakery in New York City. He immigrated from England a few years earlier carrying a recipe for a muffin using griddle baking. The goal of this process was to make a muffin that was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. And yes, the famous Thomas’ English muffin brand is named for Samuel Bath Thomas and has been using the same recipe and cooking process for over a century!

Thomas’ English muffin was technically a “toaster crumpet”, similar to the English crumpet, and was similarly fork-split, not sliced. English muffin dough is also a lot firmer than crumpet batter, and takes a lot longer to get ready. Anyway, back then, people saw the English muffin as a tastier alternative to toast, and the popularity increased so much that Thomas opened a second bakery nearby to keep up with demand. In fact, this second bakery is still intact today, although it is not in use. There is a plaque outside “The Muffin Building” denoting its significance!

References

“135 Years Ago We Started Making Breakfast”. Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. Accessed April 18th, 2020.
“Thomas’ English Muffins”. Lifestyle Direct, Inc. Accessed April 18th, 2020.
“Do You Know the Muffin Man Was on West 20th Street?”. The New York Times: Emily Vasquez. Accessed April 18th, 2020.