A Starter with a Story: Homemade English Muffins and the Spirit of Madame Mustache
If you’ve ever bitten into a fresh, homemade sourdough English muffin, you know it’s something special—crisp-edged on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of rich, tangy flavor. For me, English muffins were a breakfast staple growing up—split, toasted, and slathered in butter or jam. So one day, I thought, why not try making them myself? That decision turned out to be one of the best baking choices I’ve ever made. But what makes my sourdough English muffins truly unique isn’t just the texture or flavor—it’s the starter behind the dough. I bake them using a historic San Francisco sourdough starter from Kensington Market Sourdough, with origins dating back over 150 years to the California Gold Rush. That kind of legacy carries a certain weight—and a lot of flavor. And every great starter deserves a great name. Meet Eleanor, a.k.a. Madame Mustache My sourdough jar is affectionately named Madame Mustache, inspired by one of the Gold Rush era’s most infamous and trailblazing wo...