Multigrain Bread Machine Sourdough English Muffins
This isn't your standard "off the shelf" English muffin. We're talking Multigrain Bread Machine Sourdough English Muffins. A blend of all-purpose flour, spelt or wheat, oats, and ground flaxseed, sweetened with a bit of honey.
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 filtered water, room temperature
- 1 cup active sourdough starter, See Notes
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, room temperature
- 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour or bread flour, See Notes
- 1-1/4 cup spelt flour or wheat flour
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or table salt, no iodized
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)
- This dough tends to run a little on the wet side but do not fret! The first 5 minutes of mixing and kneading is the most important step in achieving a good "dough ball". The addition of oats and flax requires time for them to soak up the liquid a little bit. It will have a puddle under the paddle, but at about the 5 minute mark it should fully come together. If after 5 minutes, it does not, just add one tablespoon of flour and see how it does. Do this again ONLY if needed, but try not to add too much extra flour or your dough will be dry once the oats & flax do their thing.
- 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 3-6 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 1-2 hours & 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 3-8 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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 88IUCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!