Extra-Sour English Muffins

I have a deep and abiding passion for sourdough english muffins. The crispy bits, the gobs of butter and the deep tang are the perfect start to any day. So it came as a huge disappointment after making the first few batches, that my home-made versions weren't delivering any of that.
Fast forward a half dozen attempts, and I now am ready to share an extra-sour, not too sweet, perfectly craggy english muffin that makes my day. I hope that it might make yours too! This recipe makes about 11 muffins.
Sponge:
210 g 100% hydration sourdough starter
210 g flour (all purpose is fine
225 g milk
Additional ingredients:
75g flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
The evening before, mix the sponge ingredients, cover and let sit out overnight.
The next morning, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. I mix in the kitchen-aid for about 5 min on 2nd speed, until the dough is very elastic, but you could also do this by hand.
This dough is rather wet, (OK, really wet), but if you work it, then leave it a minute or two before cutting, it becomes a bit more manageable. All that wetness is what gives you the nooks and crannies, so do try to be patient with it and avoid adding too much flour.
Roll out to about 1/2” thick, then cut into 2” rounds. Yes, this looks really skimpy, but trust me, these babies will triple in height and are much more satisfying than the store-bought type.
Place the muffins on a piece of parchment dusted with semolina or corn meal (I prefer semolina, but go with what you have on hand). Let rest 45 min. If they are not perfectly round or perfectly flat, don’t sweat it – a lot of the imperfections are resolved during cooking.
Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle with vegetable oil to a medium heat. Cook the muffins about 7 min per side, turning occasionally to brown them evenly. The muffins should show a huge amount of ‘oven spring’.

the muffins resting before cooking

  same muffins about a minute after hitting the pan

same muffins about 3 minutes later

Cool on a rack. To get the best texture, split these with a fork, rather than slicing with a knife.

You can find this recipe and a host of other wonderful yeasted treats every Friday on YeastSpotting.