1. Feed starter - Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 3 – 4 hours.  
2. Autolyse - Mix flour and water, stir until there is no more dry flour with a spatula.  Or use a stand mixer with paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes at low speed.  The dough will tear easily when you pull on it. The dough is no extensibility after immediately water is added, gluten is not formed yet. Cover and leave for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature (28C - 30C).  After 2 - 3 hours I checked the window pane stage.  The dough was very extensible when I pulled on it.  This one autolysed for 3 hours.
3. Levain - Wet your hand, add 60g sourdough to the dough and hand mixing until incorporated, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Sea Salt - Pour on top of the dough, use hand to mix in the salt.  It takes about 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated.  Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5. Bench Fold - Lightly mist the counter top with water.  Wet your hand and scrapper.  Transfer dough to the counter top.  Pull and fold the four sides, flip over and round the dough.  Return to the same bowl.  Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.
6. Lamination -  Lightly mist the counter top with water and wet your hand.  Pull from centre out to form a rectangle shape.  Pick up one edge and fold into the center.  Pick up other edge and fold into the center over first section.  Fold the top down half way.  Fold the bottom up.  Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
7. Coil Fold 1 -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
8. Coil Fold 2 -  At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough  before the 1st coil fold.  Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
9. Coil Fold 3 -  At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold.  However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds.   Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 40 - 50% in size since you added the levain.  
10. Shaping - 60 - 90 minutes later, the dough had risen about 50% in size since adding the levain. This is the end of bulk fermentation.   The total fermentation time is 5 1/2 hours.  Flour the counter top.  Shape and transfer to a  flour banneton.  
11. Proofing - Proof at room temperature for 15 minutes.  
12. Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread is about 15 hours.
13. Baking -  
1. Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C for 30 minutes before baking.
2. Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper and scoring.(Slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle).  Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
3. Lower the temperature to 230C and bake with cover on for 20 minutes minutes.  Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (fan-forced), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack before slicing.  I usually sliced the bread while it is still warm and the crust still hard and crispy.
   

INGREDIENTS:

My sister in-law loves to buy English Muffins from the bakery near our place.  After trying them I was inspired to try it with sourdough.  I did some research online and I used my sourdough discard since I happened to have enough in my fridge.  They turned out very well.  They are soft and moist, very mild sourness and slightly doughy.   It is supposed to be doughy in the centre so that it will get crispy on the outside with a soft texture inside when you slice and toast it. 

When I heard the word "muffin" I thought it is a cake but this is actually is a bread.   An English Muffin is usually sliced horizontally, toasted and buttered.  And it can be eaten with sweet or savory toppings.

How to store English Muffins:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 - 5 days or in the freezer up to 2 months.  Thaw the frozen muffins overnight in the refrigerator and toast before eating.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible.

RECIPE -  ENGLISH MUFFINS USING SOURDOUGH DISCARD

Yields:  6 Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

300g all purpose flour (I used half bread flour + half all purpose flour as I like slightly chewy texture)

100g sourdough discard, room temperature (young or 3 - 4 days old discard) 

20g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

1 tsp (6g) salt 

165g (80g milk + 85g water), you can use all milk

Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

* You may also use newly fed sourdough starter at its peak

Utensil:

Baking tray, lined with parchment paper

Non-stick skillet with lid

METHOD:

1. Kneading (10.30 pm):
1. Put all ingredients into a bowl of stand mixer.  I usually dilute starter with water first then only add in flour, sugar and salt.
2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the hook attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  
3. Knead for around 10 minutes or until the dough comes together, become soft and smooth.  Do not required to check windowpane stage.
2. 1st Proofing/Resting (11.00 pm):
1. Round up the dough. In the same bowl, keep it covered with cling film or use a lid and  let the dough ferment for about 8 - 10 hours at about 24C room temperature.  I left it in air-cond room.  I found my dough quite weak and decided  to  make one set of stretch and fold after 30 minutes.  You may need more than one S&F if your dough still weak.
3. Shaping (9.00 am):
1. By this time, the dough has tripled in size. Punch down the dough and transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide dough into 6 equal portions (around 100g each).  Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
2. Form each portion to a ball and let them rest for 15 minutes to relax.  Please watch the video here "How to shape bun"
3. Flatten the dough slightly on semolina flour or cornmeal on both sides. Place the muffins on lined baking tray.  
4. Final Proofing:
1. Let the muffins proof for another 60 minutes at a warm place until the dough rise about double in size. 
5. Pan Toast/Bake:
1. Preheat your non-stick skillet over low heat.  
2. Place 3 muffins (depend on the size of your skillet) into it.  Gently press down the muffins with spatula to flatten.  Cover and cook for about 4 minutes.  Turn the muffins over, cover and cook for another 4 minutes.  (If you do not have skillet with cover, you can either cook the muffins 5 - 6 minutes each side or you may want to bake the muffins further (after pan toast) in the oven for another 8  minutes approximately in a preheated oven at 190C).
3. Let the muffins cool on the rack completely before slicing.  Slice and toast to serve.

I have been wanting to bake smaller batards as it is nice size to slice.  This is my 6th attempt.  I tried different shaping and baking methods and this is the best that I could achieve so far.  I will continue trying to improve and will share any new findings in future. 

I baked these in steam with my home oven, using the technique learned from The Perfect Loaf.   Baking in a cast iron pot will be easier and the result is more predictable.  However, it will take a longer as I will only be able to bake one loaf at a time.  

I am sharing this recipe as a reference. This recipe and method worked for me but it may not work for everyone.  

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible.

Recipe - Sourdough Batard

1. Feed starter - I fed my starter before go to bed at ratio of 1:10:10 (starter:water:flour) and use the next morning when its peaks (around tripled).
2. Autolyse - Mix flour and water, stir until there is no more dry flour with a spatula and clean the side with a scrapper.  Cover and leave for 1 - 2 hours at room temperature (28C - 30C).  After 1 - 2 hours I checked the window pane stage.  The dough was very extensible when I pulled on it.
3. Levain - Wet your hand, add 70g sourdough starter to the dough and hand mixing until incorporated, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Sea Salt - Dilute sea salt with the balance of 10g water.  Pour on top of the dough, use hand to mix in the sea salt water.  It takes about 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated.  Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5. Stretch & Fold -  Pull and fold the dough 5 - 6 times.  Round it up with the smooth top facing up.  Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
6. Coil Fold 1 -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 45 - 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
7. Coil Fold 2 -  At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough  before the 1st coil fold.  Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
8. Coil Fold 3 -  At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold.  However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds.   Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 40 - 50% in size since you added the levain.  
9. Preshape - I rounded up the dough about 4.5 hours after adding in the levain. Transfer dough onto floured top and divide into 2 equal portions.  Round up the dough and cover with kitchen towel.  Rest for 20 minutes.   
10. Shaping - Please watch the "how to shape batard video".  Tranfer the dough onto a parchment paper and place into the prepared proofing couche as shown in the diagram and video.  Put in a a plastic bag.
11. Proofing - Proof at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes.  
12. Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread is about 15 hours.
13. Baking -  
1. Preheat oven with baking stone and lava rock at 250C (top and bottom heat) for 60 minutes before baking.  
2. After 45 minutes or 15 minutes before baking, pour hot water over the rolled up kitchen towel in a rectangular pan.  Place inside oven next to lava rocks.
3. Once the oven is ready, take dough out from the fridge.  Transfer the dough (together with parchment paper) to a pizza scrapper.  Score the dough.
4. Try to act quick on the below steps to avoid the more heat of escaping.
1. Open the oven door, slide dough (together with parchment paper) on baking stone.  
2. Place a baking tray on 1st top rack (above the baking stone) as heat shield.  
3. Pour hot water into the lava stone.  
4. Close the oven door immediately.
5. Bake with steam for 12 minutes.
6. Remove the lava stone, rolled kitchen towels and baking tray (as heat shield).  Lower the temperature to 230C (fan-forced) and continue bake for another 13 - 15 minutes.
7. Remove breads from oven.  Slice the bread while it is still hot.