Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Muffins (Printable Version)

Moist muffins bursting with fresh lemon zest, juicy blueberries, and a crumb topping enhanced by sourdough.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup (125g) whole wheat flour
03 - 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) vegetable oil or melted butter
09 - 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard, unfed
10 - 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) whole milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Zest of 1 large lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
14 - 1 1/2 cups (225g) fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Crumb Topping

15 - 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
16 - 1/3 cup (65g) light brown sugar
17 - 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
18 - Pinch of salt
19 - Zest of 1/2 lemon

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, oil, sourdough discard, milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thoroughly combined.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold blueberries into the batter, preserving their integrity.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cold butter cubes, salt, and lemon zest. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle crumb topping generously over each muffin.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.
10 - Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a purpose beyond the compost bin, and it makes these muffins taste like they took way more effort than they did.
  • The lemon and blueberries feel like summer even when they're not, and the crumb topping adds a textural surprise that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • They stay moist for days, which means you're not stuck eating a dry muffin by Wednesday morning.
02 -
  • Frozen blueberries are non-negotiable—thawed ones release juice that stains your batter purple and throws off the moisture balance, making the crumb soggy in unexpected places.
  • Don't skimp on cold butter cubes in the topping; if your butter is even slightly warm, it melts into the flour and you lose that distinctive crumb texture that makes people pause between bites.
  • Sourdough discard straight from the fridge, unfed and thick, makes all the difference; if you use fed starter that's bubbly and pourable, you'll need to adjust your milk ratio or end up with batter that's too loose.
03 -
  • Room temperature batter mixes more evenly than cold batter, so pull your eggs and sourdough discard out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start, or at least let them sit in warm water for five minutes while you prep everything else.
  • The difference between these muffins being perfect or slightly dry comes down to not overbaking by even one minute; set a timer for twenty-two minutes first and check then, since ovens vary wildly and every second over that point costs you moisture.
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