Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 185kcal
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour (or swap up to ½ cup for whole wheat flour)
- ¾ cup 150 g granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup 120 g sourdough discard, room temperature
- ½ cup 120 ml whole milk (or plant-based milk)
- ⅓ cup 75 g melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled (or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup 60 g sour cream or plain yogurt (for extra moisture)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Mix-Ins choose one or combine
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries don't thaw if frozen
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries + 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 cup shredded zucchini squeezed dry
- Optional Topping
- 2 tbsp coarse or turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk sourdough discard, milk, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — the batter should look lumpy. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains; do not overmix.
- Add mix-ins. Fold in blueberries, chocolate chips, or your chosen mix-in with 2–3 gentle strokes.
- Fill the tin. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to divide batter evenly among the 12 cups, filling each about ¾ full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.
- Bake at high heat first. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes — this gives the muffins a quick rise and a tall, domed top.
- Lower heat and finish. Without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake 13–17 more minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let muffins cool in the tin 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Don't overmix — lumpy batter is correct; overmixing creates tough, dense muffins.
Sourdough discard: Use it at room temperature for the best blend. Stir it well before measuring. Older discard gives a tangier taste; fresher discard is more mild.
Frozen blueberries: Add straight from the freezer — no thawing — to stop color from bleeding into the batter.
Make-ahead: Mix the batter the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Scoop and bake straight from the fridge the next morning; add 1–2 extra minutes to bake time.
Dairy-free: Use plant-based milk + melted coconut oil + dairy-free yogurt.
Gluten-free: Swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend; ensure your sourdough starter is also gluten-free.
Flavor boosts: Add 1 tsp lemon zest for blueberry muffins, or ½ tsp cinnamon for banana or nut muffins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g
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