If you're working with a sourdough starter and have some discard to use up, these Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins are a delicious breakfast or brunch recipe! The best part? No rising time is needed; you'll have these on the table in under an hour.
Looking for other sourdough discard recipes? Check out these Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Discard Bagels, this Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia, and these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls.
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter and how to use sourdough discard.
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Ingredients
As long as you have sourdough discard, you're halfway there! Below are a few key things you'll need to make these Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins.
- Unsalted butter: Everything good starts with butter, right? Just kidding. But seriously, the butter helps make these light and fluffy. Make sure this is softened to room temperature so it creams well with the sugar.
- Orange or lemon zest: I like to use orange zest with this recipe, but you could also use lemon. It helps bring a bit of brightness to the recipe!
- Sourdough discard: This should be unfed and at room temperature before you make this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough discard with a 1:1 ratio (1 part flour, 1 part water). If your sourdough starter uses a different ratio, you will need to adjust a few ingredients in this recipe.
- Non-dairy milk: I like to use almond milk for this recipe, but it will work well with any milk (even dairy options, if you'd rather).
- Blueberries: These can be fresh or frozen! If frozen, let them thaw and drain off any excess water that might separate from the berries.
See full recipe below for detailed instructions.
Instructions
There are a few key steps that will help ensure these muffins have a great rise and texture.
Cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next egg. Add vanilla extract and orange or lemon zest, stirring to combine.
Add sourdough discard and 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk and stir to combine.
Mix together flour, salt and baking powder, then add to the batter mixture and stir to combine.
Toss blueberries with ½ teaspoon all-purpose flour to coat. This helps keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
Add blueberries to the batter and stir to combine.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners, then fill each cup evenly with batter.
Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar, then bake until golden brown.
The muffins will bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool on a cooling rack before serving.
Hint: Coating the blueberries with a little flour before adding to the batter helps keep them from sinking to the bottoms of the muffins!
Working with sourdough discard
This recipe is designed for sourdough discard with a 1:1 ratio (1 part water, 1 part flour). If your sourdough starter has a different ratio, you'll need to make some adjustments to this recipe.
Make sure your sourdough discard is unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. Making sure all ingredients are at room temperature is important to ensure these muffins rise correctly (if the ingredients are cold, they won't rise as well).
Remember that every sourdough starter (and sourdough discard) is different. If needed, add more flour or more non-dairy milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) until you reach your desired batter consistency.
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter and how to use sourdough discard.
Variations
This is a great base recipe for sourdough discard muffins. You can easily make several variations:
- Change the berries - Want to try this with a different berry? Try strawberries, raspberries or blackberries!
- Add nuts - This recipe would be great with added walnuts or almonds. Try reducing the blueberries by ¼ cup and adding ¼ cup of chopped nuts.
- Add a crumble topping - Do you want a little extra sweetness or crunch with the muffins? Add a crumble topping like this one.
Equipment
You really need minimal equipment to bring these Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins together. You'll need a large mixing bowl and a hand-held mixer (you could also use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer). You'll also want a mixing spoon (personally, I love a GIR Spoonula for this use).
You'll need a 12-cup muffin pan as well as muffin liners. For muffin liners, you can either make your own with parchment paper, use paper liners, or use silicone liners.
Storage
Store these Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins open at room temperature for up to 3 days. You do not need to store them in an airtight container or bag as they'll become soggy. If needed, you can reheat them in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds to make them warm and soft.
These muffins also freeze very well. Let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the muffins thaw at room temperature, or reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Top tip
Don't skip the muffin liner! These help keep the muffins from sticking to the pan. If you're not one for muffin liners, make sure you thoroughly grease your pan before adding the batter.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. If frozen, let the berries thaw first and drain off any excess liquid that might separate from the berries.
This recipe is designed to be made with sourdough discard. Without it, you would need to adjust several of the ingredients.
Room-temperature ingredients will produce a better rise than if you use ingredients that are cold, right out of the fridge. Will it still work if they're cold? Generally speaking, yes. But will the muffins rise as much? No.
Blueberry Sourdough Discard Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange or lemon zest
- 1 cup sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for coating the berries
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup blueberries thawed, if frozen
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each. Stir in vanilla extract and orange or lemon zest.
- Stir in sourdough discard, then 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk. This will need some good stirring to combine. Depending on your sourdough discard, you may need to add more milk or more flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired batter consistency.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the batter mixture and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour to coat. This will help prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. Add the berries to the batter mixture and fold until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each cup. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
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