These delicious gluten-free sourdough English muffins are soft, flavorful, and crispy on the outside. For more recipes like that check out my gluten-free sourdough discard recipes collection!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Flavor. These gluten-free English muffins are so good, I couldn't stop snacking on them even without toppings!
- Texture. The muffins are not dense, yet, not too crumbly. They are soft and airy just like the original English muffins!
- Make-ahead recipe. Make and freeze these English muffins to use later!
What Is A Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is a wild yeast that is used to leaven sourdough bread. I use a brown rice gluten-free sourdough starter and I love baking my own gluten-free vegan sourdough bread!
All you need to make a starter is flour, water, and a little patience. Then, you can use it in bread or recipes like this one! Or you can make sourdough pancakes, pizza dough, or even chocolate chip cookies! For hamburgers, you can check out my gluten-free dinner rolls or fermented hamburger buns.
New to gluten-free sourdough? Watch my 16-minute video tutorial for beginners!
Ingredients
GF sourdough starter - use a mature starter, meaning it was fed, then rose to its full capacity, and is still bubbling. You can also use starter discard with an additional 7g of dry active/instant yeast or 20g of fresh yeast.
GF flour - I am using my homemade gluten-free flour mix without potato starch but other GF flour will work, too. Just keep an eye on the texture of the dough, if it is too runny, you can add a bit more of your flour since it might be more absorbent than mine. The dough is supposed to be sticky but workable with greased hands!
Milk - use any milk, plant-based or not.
Oil - I used sunflower oil and it works great but other types should work, too!
Psyllium husk - either whole husks or powder will work well in this recipe.
Baking powder - check the package to make sure it is gluten-free.
Substitutes & Variations
You can use any oil or type of milk. Most gluten-free flour blends should work with this recipe!
You can add cinnamon and raisins for a sweeter version of these English muffins or you can add some jalapenos to the dough for a spicy version!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
In a medium-sized bowl combine whole psyllium husks, milk, water, oil, and sugar.
Whisk to incorporate and set aside to let the psyllium gel form (2 minutes). As psyllium husk absorbs water it forms a gel that will add a bready texture to the muffins.
Step 2
Combine the gluten-free flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate.
Step 3
Once psyllium gel has formed (1-2 minutes after you mixed it), add the sourdough starter to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk to incorporate.
If you are using starter discard instead of an active starter, add 7g of instant yeast to the dry ingredients (not active dry yeast as this type needs to be activated before using).
The active starter is the one you feed and discard from; starter discard is what you take away from the mother starter during feedings and keep in the refrigerator.
Step 4
Add the dry and wet ingredients together and mix with your hands or an electric mixer with the dough hooks attached.
The dough will be sticky but not too sticky to work with. It definitely shouldn't be dry and crumbly!
If the dough is too dry to shape, add more water. If your muffins turn out too dry, next time add more water to the dough.
Step 5
Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (mine were about 100g each) with a bench scraper or a knife.
Step 6
Grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking and shape each piece into a small ball, then slightly press each one into a disc.
Step 7
Add cornmeal to a plate and dip both sides of each muffin in it to prevent them from sticking to the frying pan.
Step 8
Place the shaped muffins onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a tea towel, and leave to ferment for 3.5-5 hours (or overnight in the refrigerator).
The muffins will puff up slightly but won't double in size.
If you are using instant yeast you only need to proof for 1-1.5 hours. In this case, your muffins will rise more and might even double in size.
Step 9
Once the muffins are ready, preheat a cast iron pan or griddle over low heat for a few minutes. Don't add any oil or grease to the pan!
Fry each muffin for 10-11 minutes on each side over low heat until deep golden brown. Longer cooking time allows for the dough to cook through completely without burning on the outside.
Transfer the cooked muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before slicing! If you slice them too soon, they will be sticky inside.
Storing & freezing
Store these muffins in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheat before eating.
You can freeze these muffins in a freezer bag or an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds or reheat in the oven at 350F/175C until soft and warm!
Expert Tips
- Use a mature starter, meaning a starter that was fed a few hours ago and is rising and bubbling. It will help with fermentation and airy texture in the muffins!
- Use a cast iron pan to help the muffins cook through before the sides get too brown! Non-stick pans don't transfer heat as well as cast iron does. However, if you don't have a cast iron pan or griddle, a non-stick pan will do, it just might need more time to cook through.
- Grease your hands with oil before shaping English muffins as the dough will be sticky. Don't add extra flour to the surface or to your hands!
FAQ
Make sure you cook your English muffins over low heat for a longer time. Cooking them quicker at a higher heat will result in a gummy center.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Sourdough English Muffins
Ingredients
- 15 grams psyllium husk If using psyllium powder, use 13 grams. For more details read my psyllium husk for baking post.
- 200-250 grams water, use 200g and add extra if the dough is too dry
- 75 grams (⅓ cup) plant-based milk or regular milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup/honey
- 2 tablespoon oil any vegetable or seed oil
- ½ cup (140g) gluten-free sourdough starter If you are using starter discard, add 7g of instant/active dry yeast or 20g of fresh yeast
- 286 grams (2 cups) gluten-free flour I am using my homemade blend with brown rice flour which for this recipe would be: 73g brown rice flour, 70g white rice flour, 143g starch of choice (cornstarch/tapioca/arrowroot/potato)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder check the package to make sure it is gluten-free
- 10 grams (2 tsp) salt
- cornmeal for coating optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl combine whole psyllium husks, milk, water, oil, and sugar.Whisk to incorporate and set aside to let the psyllium gel form (2 minutes). As psyllium husk absorbs water it forms a gel that will add a bready texture to the muffins.
- Combine the gluten-free flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate.
- Once psyllium gel has formed (1-2 minutes after you mixed it), add the sourdough starter to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk to incorporate.If you are using starter discard instead of an active starter, add 7g of instant yeast to the dry ingredients (not active dry yeast as this type needs to be activated before using).The active starter is the one you feed and discard from; starter discard is what you take away from the mother starter during feedings and keep in the refrigerator.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients together and mix with your hands or an electric mixer with the dough hooks attached.The dough will be sticky but not too sticky to work with. It definitely shouldn't be dry and crumbly!If the dough is too dry to shape, add more water. If your muffins turn out too dry, next time add more water to the dough.
- Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (mine were about 100g each) with a bench scraper or a knife.
- Grease your hands with oil to prevent sticking and shape each piece into a small ball, then slightly press each one into a disc.
- Add cornmeal to a plate and dip both sides of each muffin in it to prevent them from sticking to the frying pan.
- Place the shaped muffins onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a tea towel, and leave to ferment for 3.5-5 hours (or overnight in the refrigerator).The muffins will puff up slightly but won't double in size.If you are using instant yeast you only need to proof for 1-1.5 hours. In this case, your muffins will rise more and might even double in size.
- Once the muffins are ready, preheat a cast iron pan or griddle over low heat for a few minutes. Don't add any oil or grease to the pan!Fry each muffin for 10-11 minutes on each side over low heat until deep golden brown. Longer cooking time allows for the dough to cook through completely without burning on the outside.Transfer the cooked muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before slicing! If you slice them too soon, they will be sticky inside.
- For visual instructions please refer to the post above!
Sheryl says
Looks good! I wonder if I can also put sausage or ham in it?
Natashashome says
Absolutely!
Kelsey says
Is the water supposed to be mixed in with the wet ingredients? It’s listed as an ingredient but isn’t mentioned in the steps!
Natasha Levai says
Thank you so much for your comment! I just fixed the instructions. Yes, add the water to the wet ingredients!
Sarah Mazzulla says
You mention gluten-free flour - should that be bread flour? All Purpose flour? Or doesn't it matter?
Natasha Levai says
You can use either flour! I am always using my homemade blends but I don't want to limit people to only those blends. You can use any type of GF flour blend, just keep an eye on the texture of the dough. If it is so wet that it is not workable even if you grease your hands, then add a little bit more flour as your blend might be a bit less absorbent than mine 🙂
Brynne says
Good afternoon! I made this recipe a few weeks ago. They looked amazing when they were done but flattened out when they cooled. The flavor was still good but they were so flat they were hard to cut. Did I over cook them? Thank you!
Natasha Levai says
Try adding more baking powder!
Janet Flood says
The gf
sourdough starter is listed at 1/2 cup, how many grams would that be??
Natasha Levai says
Hi Janet! About 140-150g.
Barb says
Absolutely love this recipe! Just an observation-the milk or plant-based milk at 1/3 cup doesn't change when you go to two times or three times the recipe. Since you have everything else in metric, perhaps you could eliminate that so as not to cause confusion. I had to do a double take so as not to mess up. Thank you again for a wonderful and delicious gluten-free English muffin recipe.
Jill says
Does it matter if the gf flour blend has xanthan gum?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Jill! Yes, you should use a blend without xanthan gum. Extra xanthan gum in the dough might contribute to gumminess!
Shannon Escandon says
Is the yeast added to the dry ingredients and then should I be worried about temp of the wet ingredients before incorporating them? I'm afraid this isn't going to rise or work out because I got confused switching between weight and volume measurements, hoping I can save! Thanks for any tips!
Natasha Levai says
Hi Shannon! If you are using instant yeast, you can incorporate it in either dry or wet ingredients (make sure they aren't hot). If you are using active dry yeast, you will need to activate it by adding it to the warm milk the recipe calls for and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Then, proceed with the recipe!
Brittany Prilipp says
I haven’t cut into them yet but mine seem really dark which could have been the psyllium husk, and dense. I proofed the dough in the fridge over night, should I have let it come to room temp?
Natasha Levai says
The recipe has been updated since, try making the new version and see if you still have the same issues!
Kambri says
I have tried these things 5X I can’t figure out how to make them not undercooked/gummy.
Natasha Levai says
Is there xanthan gum in your flour mix already? Try reducing the liquid in the recipe and making the English muffins smaller/flatter to give it better chances of cooking through.
Amy says
I just made here today. One suggestion is to change the ingredients to all be weight measurements, or all be by volume.
My muffins looked great when frying but then got flat when sitting on the pan to go in oven. I’ll try the extra baking powder but it seems like they really settle and shrink even during the cooking after the oven. Tips?
How should I store these? In the fridge?
LB says
Hello, I made these a few weeks ago and they were great! I tried again today and noticed the instructions were a bit different and the dough is so wet? I added a lot of extra flour and it's still so soft, basically impossible to make into discs to rise. Did something in the recipe need to change when the instructions changes?
Natasha Levai says
Yes! I added more water to the recipe because when I made it again, it seemed to be too dry and other people were saying they get gummy muffins. But you can reduce the water if that what works best for you!
Barbie says
I made these and they were so good! I will be making these again! Thanks
Natasha Levai says
Hi Barbie! So glad you liked them!
Allison says
I’ve made this recipe a dozen or more times with various flour blends and it always turns out great. I’ve used store bought one for one blends with xanthum gum and I didn’t think they were gummy. Cinnamon raisin was delicious too (increased honey a bit).
I made the mistake of following the updated recipe with increased water and it was a sticky disaster. I would start with 200 grams of water and increase only if the dough is actually dry.
Natasha Levai says
Thank you so much for your comment! It is good to know that this recipe doesn't always turn out the same for all people. I will make a note in the recipe card!
Stephanie says
I dont see any recent answers but will comment anyway. Taking 1 star away because the instructions aren't very clear and ingredients are not listed in order of adding. Recipe doesn't mention how dry or wet the dough should feel so I'm unsure whether to add more water or not. And no mention whether to cover the muffins with a damp towel while they ferment. Won't they dry out after several hours or do you want them to dry out?
Natasha Levai says
Thank you for your comment, I will make adjustments to the post to mention all those things. The dough will be sticky but not too sticky that you can't shape it. It definitely shouldn't be crumbly! Cover the muffins with a towel when they are proofing. You can do a damp towel if you prefer, but they don't dry out if you cover them with a dry towel.
Abby says
Can you substitute potato starch for the psyllium husk? If so, do you need to adjust the liquid?
Natasha Levai says
Hi Abby, no potato starch is in no way a good substitute for psyllium husk in baking. If you want to make a recipe without psyllium husk, you would need to find a recipe that is designed to be made without it, because there is no good substitute for psyllium when it comes to baking, unfortunately!
Nikki says
these turned out perfect!!!
I followed the recipe exactly (including her gf flour recipe) and let them rise overnight. I got fluffy, perfectly cooked gf English muffins