In this post I’m sharing how to make the best sourdough english muffins with einkorn flour. Sourdough isn’t a new food in our household, but using it in different ways keeps things fun. Instead of just breakfast toast, today we’re using it to make english muffins. These sourdough english muffins are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, making them the perfect healthy breakfast side dish.
In this post I’m sharing how to make the best sourdough english muffins with einkorn flour. Sourdough isn’t a new food in our household, but using it in different ways keeps things fun. Instead of just breakfast toast, today we’re using it to make english muffins. These sourdough english muffins are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, making them the perfect healthy breakfast side dish.
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Why Einkorn Flour?
We’ve been using Einkorn flour a lot more recently in our house. It is an ancient grain that hasn’t been hybridized like most of today’s highly processed grain.
Hybridization is the process of breeding different types of grain to create a grain that can withstand weather ailments and produce a higher yield crop. This modern process allows people to get grain who may not be able to otherwise, but it also jeopardizes some of the original qualities of non-hybridized wheat.
Einkorn has 50% more manganese, riboflavin, and zinc, and 20% more magnesium, thiamin, niacin, iron, and vitamin B. Ironically these are same nutrients that are synthetically added back to enriched wheat flour to compensate for what we’ve lost in making wheat a high-yield crop. (source)
Einkorn is also higher in protein, making it a much better source of energy for your body.
However, einkorn flour works differently and tastes slightly different than your regular store-bought flour. But that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. You just have to get used to working with it. That is why I am starting to convert some of my recipes to einkorn, because it’s a healthier grain.
In order to bring new recipes and techniques to you all, I like to read books like this one. I learn about new cooking methods and ingredients and then practice them in my kitchen before sharing them here on the blog.
What to do if you Don’t have Einkorn Flour
If you don’t have einkorn flour, don’t worry you can still make this recipe. Just use your regular all-purpose flour, but use less of it.
So since this recipe uses 3 cups of einkorn flour, use only 2 1/2 cups of regular flour. Or you could use whole grain, spelt, kamut, etc.
Now remember that whatever flour you’re using it is probably different than mine, which means your dough might look a little different. I have experimented around with this recipe several times and you really can’t mess it up. Whether your dough is thick and needs rolling, or it’s more like pancake batter, your english muffins will be delicious.
I buy my einkorn flour at our local grocery store, but you can also get it from Amazon. I like the Jovial brand.
Why sourdough?
I’m assuming if you came to this post you already know about sourdough, but if not I’ll explain that too 🙂 It’s easy.
You can make a sourdough starter here. It takes about two weeks to get it strong enough to make a sourdough bread loaf. Once you have the sourdough starter, all you have to do is feed it whenever you want to use it. When you’re not using it, you can just keep it in the fridge.
Sourdough is simply fermented grain. When you take flour and water and let it sit over time, and continue to feed it, the live active cultures feed off the grain. This strips some of the phytic acid away from it, which allows it to be more easily digestible and healthier for you. Basically you are replacing dry yeast in a recipe that calls for yeast and using your starter instead.
Whenever you’re cooking with sourdough, you want to allow the dough to ferment. This usually takes anywhere from a few hours to a whole day.
So for this recipe, I will feed my sourdough starter in the morning, create the dough in the afternoon, and then make the english muffins the next day.
This process might seem daunting at first and like a lot of work, but truly you just get used to it. I have days where I take my sourdough starter out and then make 4 different doughs with it at once. There are ways to streamline the process and it becomes easier with time 🙂
New to Sourdough?
If you are new to sourdough, you will love diving into the exciting world of gut-healthy bread!
You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more.
Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot!
Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking.
More Sourdough Recipes
Check out more of my sourdough recipes here:
Getting Started with Sourdough Starter
Why I Love this Recipe
Now that I’m a stay at home mom, I am focused on cooking from-scratch meals 3 times a day. So every day I am coming up with new ideas. And I’m learning that cooking bulk batches of food really saves me time and energy.
This sourdough english muffin recipe lasts really well in the fridge. Make extra and then enjoy them for a few days afterwards. Just pull them out of the fridge, slice them in half, and put them in the toaster. Good as new.
These are so moist and fluffy on the inside, and topped with honey butter they are just decadent. I love serving these with fried eggs and dipping the muffin in the egg yolk. So, so good.
Tools Needed
Large mixing bowl
Wooden stirring spoon (or just use your hands)
plastic, for covering the bowl
Cast iron skillet with lid for covering
Rolling pin (optional, if you chose to roll out your dough)
Stainless Steel Spatula
Ingredients
3/4 cup active sourdough starter (learn how to make one here)
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup filtered warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups einkorn flour (or 2 1/2 cups regular flour)
1 tsp baking soda
coconut oil or butter for seasoning the cast iron (we use this coconut oil)
The Process
In a large bowl combine the sourdough starter, honey, water, and salt. Use a fork to whisk it all together.
To the same bowl add the einkorn flour. Using your hands, lift the sides of the flour up and fold it towards the center to mix the flour with the water mixture. Keep doing this until you have a sticky dough and all the ingredients are mixed.
Cover the bowl with plastic and let sit on your counter overnight.
The next morning, preheat the cast iron skillet on medium-high for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, uncover the dough and add the baking soda. Again with your hands fold the dough in on itself several times until the bake soda is mixed in.
When the cast iron is done preheating, add some coconut oil or butter to season the skillet. Add about a quarter cup of the dough to a hot skillet. I fit 3-4 english muffins on one skillet. Do not press down on the dough, just let it be thick and chunky.
Turn the skillet down to low temperature and cover it with a lid. This will allow the outside of the muffin to be crispy and the inside to be chewy. You want to cook the inside without burning the outside.
Let cook for 5 minutes, then check the muffin for done-ness. It’s ready to flip with the face-down side is browned. Flip the muffins and turn the cast iron back up to medium-high, and cook another 5 minutes with the lid on. You want to keep checking on them and adjust your stove temperature accordingly, so you don’t burn the outside of the muffin.
Remove and serve with honey butter and eggs. Enjoy!
Example Einkorn Sourdough English Muffins Timeline
Saturday (day before you want to eat them):
Morning: take starter out of the fridge and feed it 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup water
Late afternoon/early evening: starter should be active and bubbly, and pass the “float test” (a spoonful should float in a cup of water). Make the english muffin dough.
Sunday (the day you want to eat them):
Morning: uncover the dough, add the baking soda, and make the muffins.
Tips for Making Sourdough English Muffins with Einkorn Flour
Start this recipe the day before you want to eat the english muffins. This will give them that good, sour taste and you’ll also get all the benefits of long-fermented grain.
Make a double batch and save them for later! If you’re like us and love breakfast time, you won’t get tired of pulling these out every morning. I find that they are still good 3 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer. If you are going to freeze them, don’t forget to slice them in half first (just like with sourdough bagels).
Serve with honey butter and farm fresh eggs. I love putting the egg right on top and breaking the yolk over the english muffin. Add fresh cracked salt and pepper and it is so, so good.
You might find that your dough is more runny or more stiff than mine was. That’s okay! I have made this recipe many different ways and sometimes I like to add more flour to get the dough where I can roll it out. If you have a thicker dough, just roll it out and use a wide mouth mason jar as a cookie cutter to shape perfect little muffin circles. I love doing it this way because they are so cute!
If for some reason your english muffins are burning on the bottom (it happens), just turn your burners off entirely. Let the cast iron cool down a couple minutes. Then put the muffins in the oven on a low temp for 10-15 minutes, letting them cook on the inside without torching the outside.
Honey Butter Recipe
Making honey butter is super simple. Just combine 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of honey. It’s easiest when the butter and honey are at room temperature. Combine with a spoon and spread onto your english muffin. You can also make extra and save it for the next day, as honey and butter store well at room temp or in the fridge.
FAQs:
Does Einkorn make good sourdough?
Yes, einkorn makes good sourdough just like your regular flour would. The difference is that the grain is a little softer and has a different chemical make up, with a higher protein content. What that means for you is that you generally have to use more of it than your regular flour (for example, 1 cup regular flour would equal about 1 1/4 cup einkorn, depending on the recipe). You can still get those good active cultures with einkorn in your sourdough, and making these sourdough einkorn english muffins is one way to do that!
Is an English muffin made of sourdough?
Traditionally english muffins were made with either instant yeast or sourdough. If you are using sourdough, you want to start them a day before you plan on making them so they have time to ferment and the sourdough can do its magic. However, if you whip these up in a pinch no one is going to come looking for you. Luckily you don’t need much of a rise with sourdough english muffins so you can get away with making these with sourdough discard or not letting them ferment at all, and they’ll still taste delicious!
Can I feed my sourdough starter with Einkorn flour?
Yes you can feed your sourdough starter with einkorn. You may have to adjust the amount of einkorn flour you feed it, but you will still maintain those active cultures that live in your sourdough starter.
What is the texture of English muffins?
English muffins are traditionally crispy on the outside and have a moist, doughy texture on the inside. They originally were served with eggs Benedict, and taste delicious whether you top them with butter, honey, jam, or eggs. They are a wonderful breakfast side dish!
More Sourdough Recipes
Check out more of my sourdough recipes here:
Getting Started with Sourdough Starter
If you loved this recipe, please leave it a 5 star review. It helps my recipes be seen on Google to more people wanting to cook with sourdough!
Einkorn Sourdough English Muffins
These delicous engilsh muffins are crispy on the outside with a soft, doughy texture on the inside. Make these sourdough english muffins with einkorn flour for a healthy breakfast.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup active sourdough starter (learn how to make one here)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 cup filtered warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups einkorn flour (or 2 1/2 cups regular flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- coconut oil or butter for seasoning the cast iron
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the sourdough starter, honey, water, and salt. Use a fork to whisk it all together.
- To the same bowl add the einkorn flour. Using your hands, lift the sides of the flour up and fold it towards the center to mix the flour with the water mixture. Keep doing this until you have a sticky dough and all the ingredients are mixed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and let sit on your counter overnight.
- The next morning, preheat the cast iron skillet on medium-high for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, uncover the dough and add the baking soda. Again with your hands fold the dough in on itself several times until the bake soda is mixed in.
- When the cast iron is done preheating, add some coconut oil or butter to season the skillet. Add about a quarter cup of the dough to a hot skillet. I fit 3-4 english muffins on one skillet. Do not press down on the dough, just let it be thick and chunky.
- Turn the skillet down to low temperature and cover it with a lid. This will allow the outside of the muffin to be crispy and the inside to be chewy. You want to cook the inside without burning the outside.
- Let cook for 5 minutes, then check the muffin for done-ness. It's ready to flip with the face-down side is browned. Flip the muffins and turn the cast iron back up to medium-high, and cook another 5 minutes with the lid on. You want to keep checking on them and adjust your stove temperature accordingly, so you don't burn the outside of the muffin.
- Remove and serve with honey butter and eggs. Enjoy!
Notes
Serve these with homemade honey butter: 2 tablespoons of butter to 1 tablespoon of honey. So delicious.
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I’ve made this recipe several times now and we love it! We all, including my toddlers, love the english muffin with honey and butter and a dippy egg on top! I have made it with half and half whole wheat/all purpose einkorn and I have made it with freshly ground einkorn berries and both turned out great. I tripled the batch this morning to put a bunch in the freezer for postpartum breakfast prep. Love all your einkorn recipes because that is the only wheat I bake with, and they are sometimes hard to find!
Love it! Thank you for sharing! I agree these are a staple in our home as well. Honey butter + egg that’s how we do it too. Great idea to freeze them and congratulations on your upcoming baby 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe that uses einkorn flour and lets the dough ferment overnight! I am new to sourdough and this was so much easier to make than a large loaf (and turned out way better for me). My dough was dry enough to roll out and use a biscuit cutter. They were very good so I will keep this recipe in my cooking rotation.