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These Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough English Muffins are so nostalgic to me! A perfectly warm, little skillet muffin to start the day is something we could all use more of! This dough is simple to throw together and has the added health benefits of fermentation from the sourdough starter. With a few staple ingredients along with the much appreciated addition of cinnamon and raisins, this is one of my favorite sourdough recipes!
Ingredients you’ll need for Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough English Muffins:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 1 cup (240) g milk
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) melted butter
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled if using cups
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup raisins, pre-soaked in warm water
Thank You, Biscuit Cutters, for a Beautiful Rise
Let me tell you, an old glass jar or cup works just fine to cut these rounds out. I did it for years with english muffins and biscuits. But, I finally decided to get some biscuit cutters to see if they made a difference with the rise. I had noticed that when I used a glass (often a mason jar), the edge of the thick rim would basically seal off the outer edge of my dough rounds. I remember hearing this is why biscuit cutters are helpful, they are super thin and slice right through the dough, avoiding this smashing situation. I ordered a 3 pack on biscuit cutters on Amazon a few months ago and they have made a noticeable difference when it comes to the rise I get with my english muffins and biscuits! It’s one of those finishing touch things that isn’t necessary but does make a difference. These are the ones I have and I love them! Let me know if you have always used biscuit cutters or if they are new to you too!
Recipe Tips
Baking schedule: I like to feed my starter in the morning, make the dough midday, let it bulk rise during the afternoon/evening, then place in the fridge overnight to bake in the morning. Or, feed starter early afternoon, make dough in the evening and bulk ferment at room temperature overnight to bake first thing in the morning.
Use biscuit cutters if you have them: they really do make a difference, they cut right through the dough instead of sealing it off, allowing for a better rise while baking. For this recipe, I use a 2¾-inch biscuit cutter from this set here.
Medium low heat: To avoid over browning of the outside, make sure the pan is not too hot before adding your english muffin rounds.
Serve warm with butter: these are incredible fresh out of the oven with some softened butter. If you want to take it up a notch, try them with homemade maple cinnamon butter.
Optional addition of whole wheat flour: I love the extra flavor of adding in a portion of whole wheat flour. When it comes to baked goods, I often incorporate whole wheat flour (using soft white wheat berries) at a ratio of 1/4 to 1/3 of total flour in the recipe. So if a recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, I often will use 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups all purpose. This gives the health benefits and nutty flavor of whole wheat flour I love but keeps the dough light enough to get a good rise and soft texture in the final product.
Lastly, if you make these Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough English Muffins, please let me know down below by leaving a comment and review! I love to hear from you guys. It’s so fun to share food stories & cook these recipes together. Also, snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram – tagging me @saltedseasons. It makes my day to see what y’all are whipping up. Cheers to handmade meals!
Love y’al
– Țaylo
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough English Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 1 cup (240) g milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) melted butter
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all purpose flour fluffed, spooned and leveled if using cups
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3⁄4 cup raisins pre-soaked in warm water
Instructions
- Place ¾ cup raisins in a bowl with warm water. Allow the raisins to soak while you start preparing the dough.
- In a large bowl, add the ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter, 1 cup (240 g) milk, 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey, 3 cups (360 g) flour, 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Mix well. Cover and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water from the raisins. Remove the dough from the bowl after rest time onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes by hand or with a mixer. Then, incorporate the raisins into the dough with your hands. I found this to be easiest with my hands mixing in a small handful at a time. If using a mixer, add raisins in slowly so they don't all fall to the bottom of the bowl.
- Once raisins are kneaded in, place the dough back into the bowl, cover it, and let it rest and ferment at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours. If room temperature is over 70°F, let 8 hours be max time for the bulk rise/fermenting. After the bulk rise at room temperature, you can proceed with following steps to bake or you can place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for up to 24 hours to bake at a later time. (I often make the dough midday, let it bulk rise during the afternoon/evening, then place in the fridge overnight to bake in the morning.)
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, flour the top of the dough, and press it out using your fingertips until it is about 1 inch in thickness.
- Use a 2.5 to 3-inch biscuit cutter (I use 2¾-inch) to cut rounds from the dough. Gather the dough scraps, press them together, and cut more rounds. You should end up with 8 to 12 english muffins depending on thickness and size of your biscuit cutter. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of whole wheat flour or cornmeal (optional) and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart form one another. Cover with a light towel and allow them to rest for 15 minutes up to 1 hour at room temperature. This last rest will help with the rise of the english muffins.
- Preheat oven to 300°F and preheat your cast iron skillet, pan or Blackstone over medium low heat. Place 4 english muffin rounds into the skillet spaced 2" apart and cook the first side for 4 minutes. Turn the muffins over and cook for an additional 4 minutes. *If you have a lid that will fit over your skillet, you can use it to cover the muffins while cooking- this will help the inside bake quicker, otherwise we will finish baking them in the oven.
- The english muffins often need a little extra time in the oven after lightly browning them on both sides in the skillet. The center of an english muffin should register about 200°F on a digital food thermometer if you want to check that way. Otherwise, if the English muffins are still doughy in the center, place in the 300°F oven for 10-20 minutes until cooked through. You can slice one open to check or use a food thermometer to check!
- Enjoy!!
Notes
I hope you enjoy this recipe that has become a well-loved favorite here at Salted Seasons— where we celebrate seasonal eating and down to earth living. Thank you for being here and thanks so much for cooking with me! Until next time—