Sourdough Whole Wheat English Muffins Recipe

The California Wheat Commission Baker and Food Scientist, Teng Vang has created this amazing recipe using 100% whole wheat flour and sourdough starter. Whole grain flours + sourdough is a perfect combination for any recipe. Try this at home with your favorite locally sourced whole grain flours.

Remember there are many health benefits in whole grains and sourdough baked products. The scientists tell us more:

"Fermentation is a viable processing technique to transform whole grains in edible foods since it is an affordable, less complicated technique, which not only transforms whole grains but also increases nutrient bioavailability and positively alters the levels of health-promoting components (particularly antioxidants) in derived whole grain products."

"Such increases are mostly due to breakdown of the cereal cell wall and subsequent activities of enzymes that lead to the liberation of bound phenolic compounds, which increase antioxidant activities. In addition to the improvement of these valuable constituents, increasing the consumption of fermented whole grain cereals would be vital for the world’s ever-growing population." Read more about this research paper here.

Prep Time

Approximate 3-4 hours

Cook Time

15 minutes

Ingredients

456 grams of whole wheat flour

410 grams pf water

91 grams of starter

23 grams of sugar

14 grams of oil

7 grams of salt

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Instructions

1. Scale all ingredients.

2. Place starter and water in a mixing bowl and stir with spatula to break the starter apart.

3. Pour in the rest of the ingredients into the starter and water mixing bowl and stir with a spatula until it is evenly incorporated. At this point, we are not trying to develop the gluten, but only to incorporate all the ingredients. The dough should be wet and sticky. Transferred the dough into a slightly greased bowl, cover with a plastic wrap or lid.

4. Let the dough rest and ferment for 3-hour at room temperature. At 45 minutes interval, perform a stretch and fold. Start from one end of the dough, put your fingers underneath the dough, pull, stretch, and fold over onto the top of the dough. Rotate the bowl at 45-degree angle and repeat. Repeat the process until dough feels elastic and strong at a point where you can no longer stretch the dough. Flip the dough so that the smooth surface is on top, cover and rest. Repeat 2 more times at 45 minutes interval.

5. At the end of 3-hour bulk fermentation, the dough should be smooth, gassy, and slightly wet to the touch. Transfer the dough onto a flour surface counter.

6. Divide and pre-shape into rounds of 80 g each, 12 total.

7. Heavily dust semolina or cornmeal on a bakers couche or baking tray line with parchment paper. Dust the surface of the rounds with corn meal or semolina as well. Cover and let it rise for 30-45 minutes at room temperature.

8. Preheat the oven at 400 °F

9. Set the griddle at medium heat. Using a flat spatula, carefully transfer the rounds onto the griddle, and cook each side for 2 minutes.

10. Continue baking the muffins on a baking tray in the oven at 400 °F for 15 minutes.

11. Remove and transfer the cooked muffins onto a wire rack and let it cool before serving.

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