Soft, tender, and full of earthy pumpkin and warm autumn spices, these Sourdough Discard Pumpkin English Muffins are such a fun twist on a standard English muffin recipe and a great way to use up sourdough discard. An easy no-knead, no-mixer, overnight dough, a quick cook on the stove-top, and you'll have fresh, warm English muffins that will beat anything you could ever find in a grocery store!

Pumpkin English Muffins lined up on their sides leaning against a small orange pumpkin

This recipe was inspired by my original and very beloved Sourdough Discard English Muffins Recipe. I already made a cozy Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin variation and this year I wanted to add something extra special for fall - and boy do these deliver! They are just so good split, toasted, and topped with salted butter or with a seasonal cream cheese spread. For the batch pictured here, I mixed some vanilla bean paste into some soft salted butter and it was the perfect complement. A cinnamon honey butter would be wonderful too and/or some Slow Cooker Apple Butter.

pumpkin english muffins on a wire rack with a small dish of butter. One muffin is split and toasted and topped with butter.

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Ingredient Info
Step-by-Step Instructions
Equipment
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin English Muffins Recipe
More Sourdough Discard Recipes

Ingredient Info

The ingredients for this Pumpkin variation are pretty much the same as for my regular sourdough discard English muffins, but with pumpkin puree added and those classic, cozy pumpkin pie spices. And of course because it's my favorite, I added some vanilla bean paste (you can use extract or powder as well).
You can use a pre-made blend of pumpkin spice or use the individual spices like I have here. Or in a pinch, just use cinnamon.
I do prefer bread flour for these but you can use all-purpose flour if that is all you have.
I use milk, but you could use an alternative milk (unsweetened), or simply use water.
Also, I chose to use oil in this variation, but an equal amount of melted butter works very well.

a tall stack of pumpkin English muffins on a wire rack with small pumpkins in the background and foreground

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is an easy no-knead, no-mixer, overnight dough. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be making homemade English muffins every week!

Wet ingredients including milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, oil, and sourdough discard in a white bowl

Add all wet ingredients to a bowl

Wet ingredients mixed together with wooden dough whisk in white bowl

Mix wet ingredients thoroughly

Dry ingredients including flour and spices added to wet mixture in white bowl

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture

Mix until a shaggy dough forms

dough being pulled by hand to perform a stretch and fold

After 30 minutes pull dough up and over itself

Dough being folded back down over itself to complete stretch and fold

Do this to all 4 sides of the dough (this is one round of stretch and folds)

dough in white bowl after rising in refrigerator overnight

Cover and place in refrigerator overnight

dough rolled out onto wooden surface and cut into rounds

Roll dough to about ½ inch thickness and cut into rounds

Twelve rounds of dough on baking tray that has been sprinkled with cornmeal

Place onto cornmeal lined sheet tray and let rise for 30 minutes until puffed.

English muffin rounds being cooked in an electric griddle

Cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes on first side, covered.

English muffins flipped and cooking on their second side in an electric griddle

Flip and cook for 6-7 minutes on second side, covered.

Let cool on wire rack before storing in a bread bag at room temperature or split the muffins and freeze.

pumpkin english muffins pike on a wire rack with one split and topped with butter

Equipment

You can use any skillet, griddle, or pan you like and cook these on your stovetop but it really helps if they are covered while cooking to trap the steam so choose something that has a lid or that you can make a makeshift lid for.

I always cook my English muffins in the electric skillet you see pictured in the step-by-step photos above. I love it because it is big and it has a tight fitting lid. If you are someone who makes English muffins frequently, I highly recommend it. And it is useful for many other things as well. We use ours all the time for bacon or sausage because it keeps the stove clean! Here is an amazon affiliate link: Presto 16-inch Ceramic Electric Skillet

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Sourdough Discard Pumpkin English Muffins Recipe

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Total Time: about two hours plus overnight chilling
Yield: 10-12 English Muffins

Instructions

It helps to have your wet ingredients at room temperature.

Warm milk to 100-110 degrees.
Mix warm milk, brown sugar, yeast, pumpkin puree, oil, sourdough discard, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Next, add flour, salt, and spices and mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a slightly sticky dough forms and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes in a warm spot.
Perform one round of stretch and folds.
Cover bowl tightly and place in refrigerator overnight.
After chilling overnight the dough will be doubled in size. Dump onto floured surface and press or roll out to about a 1-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a 3-inch round biscuit cutter or drinking glass/jar. Reshape scraps by stacking them, re-rolling, and cutting. I like to get about 9-10 but if you like thinner English Muffins you can roll them a bit thinner and get a few more. This recipe is easily modified to your preferences.
When you have all muffins shaped, place them on a pan lined heavily with cornmeal or semolina flour - do not use parchment - Dust the tops with a bit of cornmeal or semolina as well. Cover the muffins and allow to rise for about 30 minutes or up to an hour until they are puffy and light. If your dough came straight from the refrigerator or your kitchen is chilly this can take about an hour. You want these nice and puffy before you fry them.
Preheat an electric skillet to 300 degrees or a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and place risen muffins in, leaving a bit of space between each one. Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes. Flip and cook on second side for another 6-7 minutes, covered.
At this point, if your muffins are on the thicker side, reduce the heat to about 250 on an electric skillet or low on the stove, flip the muffins a few more times until the internal temp registers 195-200 degrees F. You can also pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking. This extra cooking time will depend on the thickness. I like mine on the thicker side so I almost always give them an extra few minutes in the pan.
Remove to cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the best craggy nooks and crannies, use a fork and your fingers to pry the halves apart before toasting.

*Alternative shaping option:

Rather than rolling and cutting into rounds, you can divide the dough into 8-12 pieces, form each piece into a ball, and press the ball into a flat disk. This is for the people who hate dealing with scraps.

Notes

I use whole cow's milk, but you can use any milk as long as it is unsweetened and unflavored or simply use water. If you use water you may want to add a few tablespoons of extra flour.
This is meant to be a sticky dough. This stickiness is what results in that classic English muffin texture as well as the nooks and crannies we all love. If you keep adding flour until it is not sticky, you will have more of a bread roll than an English muffin.
Do not be tempted to let these rise on parchment. They will stick to it and you won't be able to get them off without destroying them. You must use cornmeal and/or semolina on your baking tray or wherever you decide to let them rise.
Store cooled English Muffins in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 3-5 days. These also freeze very well - I suggest splitting them before you freeze so you can pop them straight in the toaster without thawing first.

Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
Prep Time: 20 minutes active plus rising and chilling time
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: sourdough, fall sourdough discard recipes
Method: sourdough, stovetop
Cuisine: American