Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

Sourdough breads have amazing health benefits and taste so good they are worth the trouble to make from scratch. About once a month I make a big batch of whole wheat English Muffins and then I slice them and freeze them for a quick breakfast. My girls usually eat them once or twice a week for breakfast with a fried egg and cheddar cheese inside - our own version of an egg McMuffin. Sometimes we'll add some turkey sausage or bacon (which I also precook and freeze ready to use for a fast breakfast). It's a very quick, easy and healthy breakfast. Although the sourdough starter takes three days to ferment and be ready, once you have a starter you can keep it going and won't have to make it again.

The health benefits of eating breads made with sourdough are great. Sourdough is essentially two organisms, wild yeast and bacteria, in symbiosis. Together they transform the grain to make it more healthful, more digestible, and also resistant to getting moldy or stale. Oftentimes people with wheat allergies or "yeast" allergies have no problem eating real sourdough.

Sourdough English Muffins

This recipe makes about 25-30 English muffins.

** When you make these muffins, be sure to plan on the milk-flour-starter mixture setting overnight before continuing with the recipe. And if you're also making the sourdough starter you'll need to plan on making that about three days in advance.

3 cups milk, scalded
1 cup sourdough starter (see recipe for this below)
8 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cornmeal

Pour milk into a large bowl. When it has cooled to lukewarm, add sourdough starter, and gradually stir in 4 cups flour until thoroughly mixed. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place overnight (a heated up to warm and turned off oven is where I keep mine).

The next morning , in a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, 1/4 cup oil and remaining flour. Set aside to poof.

Stir down sourdough mixture and add to yeast mixture.

Turn out dough onto floured surface and knead for 10-13 minutes. Sprinkle floured surface with cornmeal and roll out dough to thickness of English muffins - about 3/8 inch. Cut with a wide mouth glass or biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk.

Heat a large iron skillet over medium-low heat, add remaining oil and cook muffins for about 5 minutes on each side. Be very careful not to burn them.

Sourdough Starter
*Count on at least three days for the starter to be ready.

2 cups low-fat milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon honey.

Put milk into a small container, cover with cheese cloth or dry towel and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. The next day add flour and honey and stir and blend mixture. Cover container with a dry towel and put in a warm place (ie. by a heater vent, in a warmed up over or by the fire). After 24 more hours the natural yeast should begin to activate. This may take 2-3 days. When the starter becomes bubble and begins to expand in size it is ready to use.