Sourdough English Muffin Bread

Sourdough English Muffin Bread makes the best slice of toast, full of nooks and crannies for spreading with butter! With minimal prep work and only a few ingredients, this bread comes together quickly and makes a great addition to breakfast.

English muffins with eggs has been a classic breakfast in our house for as long as I can remember. While I love making English muffins, they do take extra time to shape, which can make it challenging to enjoy them during the week. That’s where this recipe comes in! This sourdough English muffin bread has all the flavors and texture of an English muffin, but in loaf form. Instead of rolling out the dough and cutting out each muffin, you can just fold the dough into a loaf and let it proof. Using a stand mixer to knead the dough also takes out the work of kneading it by hand, making the prep work super simple.

Besides being easy to prepare, this bread also tastes fantastic! Toasted and spread with butter or jam, a slice of English muffin bread makes a pretty great start to your day. With classic chewiness, a slight tang from sourdough, and a hint of sweetness from honey, this bread will soon become a favorite in your home!

What is the difference between English muffin bread and regular bread?

Regular bread typically uses yeast or sourdough to rise. English muffin bread on the other hand has the addition of baking soda to help form the classic nooks and crannies crumb. Additionally, English muffin bread uses a higher hydration level than regular bread, which helps it keep it light and slightly chewy.

What is the best way to eat English muffin bread?

You can enjoy this bread with any of your favorite English muffin toppings! Here are a few ideas you might like:

• Scrambled eggs, ham, and melted Swiss cheese
• Peanut butter, banana, and honey
• Sliced avocado, tomatoes, and everything bagel seasoning
• Cream cheese, strawberries, and cinnamon
• And of course, butter and jam!

Let me know your favorite ways to eat this bread in the comments section below. 🙂

Tips for making Sourdough English Muffin Bread

• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely knead the dough by hand. It will be pretty sticky, so wet your hands with water to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
• It’s so hard to wait to cut bread once it comes out of the oven, but with this loaf, try to let it cool for an hour before enjoying it. If you don’t, the loaf will get smushed when you try to cut it.
• This bread will taste best the first two days after baking it. Store it in a paper bag or cover it with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

Tools you will need

To make this bread, you only need a few basic tools: a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, measuring cups and spoons, and an 8 x 4 inch baking pan.

Ingredients you will need

• 2 1/2 cups flour – All-purpose flour works best here, but you can feel free to experiment with using half all-purpose and half whole wheat or einkorn flour if you like.
• 1 cup milk – Whole milk, 2%, or skim milk all would work well here. You can also substitute your favorite milk alternative if you need to make this dairy-free.
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter – Make sure it is active and bubbly!
• 1 tbsp honey – For a little natural sweetner. Feel free to use maple syrup if you prefer.
• 1 tsp salt – Kosher salt works well for this.
• 1/4 tsp baking soda – This will help create that classic English muffin crumb.
• Cornmeal or semolina flour – For sprinkling in the pan before baking the bread.

How to make Sourdough English Muffin Bread

The night before:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup of flour, the sourdough starter, baking soda, honey, and salt using a paddle hook attachment.

Add in the milk slowly, and then add in the rest of the flour. Mix the dough on medium speed for 3-5 minutes so that it forms a ball around the hook. It will be pretty wet, and this is ok!

Cover the dough and let it rise overnight, until puffy and nearly doubled in size.

The next day:

Grease an 8 x 4 in baking pan with baking spray, and sprinkle cornmeal or semolina flour in the bottom of the pan.

Fold the dough into a rectangle, and place it in the pan. Sprinkle the top with more semolina flour.

Cover the dough and let it rise again. It likely won’t rise over the edge of the pan, but it get noticeably bigger and puffier. This can take 4-8 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, using the convection setting if you have it.

Bake the bread for 23-25 minutes until it’s golden brown on the top.

Let the bread cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool on a baking rack for at least 1 hour before cutting it.

Looking for more sourdough recipes?

If so, make sure you look for other ideas at the Kitchen Counter. Here are a few recipes to try:

• Sourdough English Muffins
• Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread
• Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
• Sourdough Dinner Rolls

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.