Bread Machine Buttermilk Sourdough English Muffins
I apologize in advance for posting ANOTHER English muffin recipe, but I can't help it they are delicious. Making my own has definitely ruined "off the shelf" varieties for me. The good news? Making them is easy, so today I introduce you to the newest flavor on the blog... Bread Machine Buttermilk Sourdough English Muffins!
Equipment
- 1 1, 1.5, or 2 lb Bread Machine
- 1 Electric Griddle or Large Skillet
- 1 Large Sheet Pan I use a standard "half sheet" pan
- 1 Cooling Rack optional
- 1 digital scale, optional
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, See Notes
- 1/4 cup filtered water, room temperature
- 1 cup active sourdough starter, See Notes
- 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, room temperature
- 2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour or bread flour, See Notes
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or table salt, no iodized.
- 2 tablespoons white sugar,
For Cooking: Do not add to the machine
- 1/4-1/3 cup medium ground cornmeal, for preparing the baking sheet and preventing sticking.
- neutral oil, for cooking
Instructions
The Night Before:
- Feed your starter as you normally do, making sure you have more than 1 cup or 240 grams, you'll need some leftover to keep it going. NOTE: If you have another method for getting your starter active for baking, do that. (See the sample timeline in the article above).
Day 1:
- Make sure your paddle is in place before getting started. Removing the bread pan before adding ingredients.
- Add the ingredients as listed directed by your machines user manual. Start your bread machine on the dough cycle (1 hour 30 minutes) Bulk fermentation begins when kneading ends (1 hour 10 minutes remaining), set a timer for the remainder of the time left on the machine.
- When the bread machine finishes, check in on the dough. It should be nice & smooth. Continue to bulk ferment in the machine as is for an additional 2-4 hours. This will depend on the temperature & environment of your kitchen AND the activity of your starter. Set a timer... check in on it after the first hour & adjust the bulk fermentation time accordingly.
- Grease a large glass or plastic bowl with a neutral oil. Then using oiled hands, remove the dough from the machine and place into your bowl. Lightly oil the surface of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the morning or up to 24 hours.
Day 2:
- Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper and a light dusting of cornmeal about 1/4-1/3 cup.
- On a silicone pastry mat or a clean countertop, divide the chilled dough into 8 pieces as shown in the photos. Shape (folding, smooth side up) into buns, pinching and sealing the seams closed at the bottom. Gently flatten out to a patty shape or like a hamburger bun with your fingers and place on the cornmeal/parchment prepared baking sheet.Cover with a lightweight towel and proof in a warm location (about 75°F-24°C) for 1-2 hours. If you have a cooler kitchen, the oven with the light on is a good spot, put a note on the oven if you need a reminder not to turn it on.NOTE: You can lightly dust the tops if you want cornmeal on both sides.
- Once they have increased in size & puffed up a bit. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4 (remove the muffins if they are proving in there). If you are using an electric griddle, pre-heat it to 300°F/150°C-325°F/165°C. If using a skillet, pre-heat to medium-low or medium.
- Just before cooking, melt coconut oil or grease the griddle with a neutral oil. Carefully cook all 8 muffins for 3-4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat as needed. The goal is lightly browned, toasted. As they are cooking, prepare the baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment paper.
- BAKING TIME: When they are done on the griddle, transfer to the plain parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F.
- Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then split open by poking with a fork all around the edges and splitting open for the ultimate nooks & crannies experience. Toast them or serve as is. Enjoy!
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for 3 months.
Notes
Nutritional Values and Servings are estimates only.
Active Starter- I use a slightly lower hydration starter. It is generally on the thicker side, like pancake or waffle batter. Make sure it is active and bubbly before starting. I tend to feed mine the night before and use it early in the morning, roughly 6-8 hours. This will depend on your starter and your personal environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) If you need more information, a sample timeline is provided below.
Buttermilk- Use the real deal. This recipe has not been tested with any alternatives.
I don't use it straight out of the fridge, I take it out and measure what I need into the bread pan of the machine using my digital scale then let it sit on the counter for about an hour or 2 before I get started to take the chill off.
It is still cool, but the recipe turns out beautifully. If you would like to bring it to room temperature more quickly, I suggest slowly and carefully heating it on the stove or in the microwave in 30 second increments. It can turn into a more curdled texture if over heated and we don't want that.
All-Purpose Flour- Organic unbleached flour is great for sourdough bread making because it has natural wild yeast and beneficial bacteria in it already that encourages a healthy starter and dough. Bleached flours are chemically treated to whiten and remove these vital microorganisms, and can affect the final out come of the bread. A quality Unbleached Bread Flour can also be used, it will likely give you a little bit of a better rise and structure, but I get great results with both.
NOTES: The all-purpose flour I use has a 11.5% gluten content. You can swap out half of the all-purpose for spelt.
Nutrition
Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 37IUCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!