Nitrate & Nitrite Free Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling apart a homemade English muffin and watching all those irregular nooks and crannies reveal themselves. These are built on a live sourdough starter and whole wheat flour, so the flavor is genuinely complex — nutty, slightly tangy, and nothing like the bland packaged versions sitting in the grocery store bread aisle. For anyone avoiding processed cured or preserved foods, store-bought English muffins can be a surprisingly tricky category, with additives and preservatives tucked into the ingredient list. Here, every component is straightforward: starter, flour, honey, olive oil, sea salt, and cornmeal for that classic dusted crust. The overnight ferment does the heavy lifting, developing both flavor and structure while you sleep, and the slow griddle cook on a dry cast iron pan gives you that signature golden exterior without any added fats or questionable ingredients. Splitting them with a fork rather than a knife is the move — it protects all the texture that makes these worth making in the first place. Toast them, pile on your favorite toppings, and enjoy the kind of breakfast that actually tastes like it took effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (100% hydration, fed and bubbly)
- ¾ cup warm water (about 90°f / 32°c)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
For cooking
- 3 tbsp cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, warm water, and honey until combined. Add the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt, then drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir with a sturdy spoon or your hand until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour remaining.
- 2
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth, slightly tacky, and elastic — it should spring back slowly when poked. Lightly coat the mixing bowl with olive oil, return the dough to the bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
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