Sourdough English Muffin Bread

This sourdough English muffin bread has everything you love about classic English muffins but in an easy, sliceable loaf form. It’s soft and chewy inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and full of all those signature nooks and crannies that are perfect for catching melted butter and jam.

Instead of shaping individual English muffins, this recipe simplifies the process into one cozy loaf. The dough comes together easily, gets a few stretch and folds for strength, then rests overnight in the fridge to build flavor. Baking it in a loaf pan makes it approachable and low-stress, while the cornmeal coating gives it that classic English muffin feel.

And fair warning: this bread disappears fast. My family devoured the entire loaf in less than 24 hours.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• All the flavor if English muffins, but easier: No shaping, or griddling individual muffins
• Perfect for toasting: Soft interior with all the little nooks and crannies
• A great overnight recipe: A great recipe to practice shaping a high hydration dough with minimal effort

Traditional English muffins are individually shaped and cooked on a griddle before baking. This loaf takes all those same cozy flavors and textures and turns them into a simpler, beginner-friendly bread.

The overnight fermentation helps create flavor and structure, while the covered bake traps steam and keeps the loaf soft while it rises in the oven. The cornmeal coating gives it that classic English muffin texture and just a little crunch around the edges.

How to make this recipe

Here’s a brief rundown of making this recipe so you know what to expect. For the full set of written directions including ingredient amounts, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

Step One: Make the dough

In a large size mixing bowl, combine the flour, milk, active starter, honey and salt until you get a nice shaggy dough. Gently knead for a few times, just to gather the dough together. Cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Step Two: Stretch and Folds

With wet hands, grab one edge of the dough and pull it up and over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat this until you have done 4 stretch and folds on each “side” of the bowl. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.

Do second set of stretch and folds and recover the bowl.

Step Three: Bulk Fermentation

Allow the dough to rise on the counter for 12 hours. Alternatively, you can also allow it a few hours on the counter and then place the bowl in the fridge overnight. The dough will rise, but it will not double in size. IT should look like a smoother, more structured dough.

Step Four: Shape

Grease a loaf pan with butter and then coat in cornmeal.

Dust a work surface with cornmeal and then dump the dough from the bowl onto the counter. The dough will be sticky still, so make sure to use wet hands to reduce sticking to your hands. Gently press the dough into a rectangle, and then roll it into a log, covering the outside with cornmeal.

Place the dough in the prepared loaf pan and cover. Allow to rise until the dough has a nice round top and it is over the top of the edge of the pan.

Step Five: Bake

Preheat the oven to 350 F with the rack in the bottom third of the oven.

Take a second loaf pan and spritz it with water. Place the pan with the dough in the oven and then gently place the second pan on top. This will help to create steam and a nice crust.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the “lid” pan and then bake an additional 10 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Baker’s Schedule

This timeline is designed for a flexible, overnight fermentation. You can adjust the timing to fit your schedule, but this gives a general idea of what to expect. Remember to watch the dough and not the clock! Timing can vary depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.

Day One

• Mixing the dough – 10–15 minutes
• Stretch and folds – 1 to 2 hours
• Bulk fermentation – 2 to 4 hours
• Overnight cold fermentation – 8 to 12 hours

Day Two

• Shaping the loaf – 10 minutes
• Final rise – 1 to 3 hours
• Preheating the oven – 20 to 30 minutes
• Baking – 35 to 45 minutes
• Cooling time – At least 1 hour before slicing

Storage

Store the loaf wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, slice and freeze the bread. Toast the slices directly from frozen if desired.